


Seeking the Normal

by Kalorii



Series: Kalorii's FF7 A/B/O AU [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alpha Rude, Alpha Zack Fair, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childbirth, Come Inflation, Emotional bonding, F/M, Headcanon, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced miscarriage, Impregnation, Intersex Cloud Strife, Knotting, M/M, Magical Bond, Magical Tattoos, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mention of Rude/Reno, Mpreg, Multiple Orgasms, Not Beta Read, Omega Cloud Strife, Omega Tifa Lockhart, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, References to Knotting, Soul Bond, Tattoos, Vaginal, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, omega reno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:13:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 40,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23902894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalorii/pseuds/Kalorii
Summary: (Alternate Universe: Zack survived, Midgar is in ruins.)As an Omega who’s gone through the SOLDIER process thanks to Hojo, Cloud has believed himself unable to conceive for years. Regardless, Zack chooses him to be his mate. The unexpected happens, throwing everything into question. Add on rumours of Shinra sympathizers attempting to revive the old empire, will Cloud ever find the normal life he’s wanted for so long?
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Original Male Character(s), Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Series: Kalorii's FF7 A/B/O AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746631
Comments: 100
Kudos: 336





	1. Broken SOLDIER

**Author's Note:**

> If the tags didn't warn you off, I've no idea what will! This fic came from experiencing the Final Fantasy VII Remake and falling in love with the game all over again. I dug out an old fic I wrote twenty years ago and had this immense desire to rewrite it. I've learned a lot in twenty years, though learning how _not_ to write crap is apparently not one of them.
> 
> So, I apologize if this is nothing like you've read from me before. This is me getting back into an old fandom and being inspired to write endlessly after a nearly two-year writer's block. I was tempted not to post it, but sometimes people find joy in random places. I know that I've actually enjoyed writing this fic so I hope someone out there enjoys reading it in some capacity. Everyone knows we could use some joy in our lives considering recent events.
> 
> Thank you for reading, I appreciate you all.
> 
> **********************

Dodge.

Parry.

Swipe.

Parry.

The sound of steel meeting steel filled the area, a clearing just outside of Kalm that the group enjoyed using for gatherings. Cloud and Zack frequently used it to keep their weapon skills as sharp as their blades while the others watched and talked amongst themselves.

Cloud grunted as he was pushed back when Zack threw a particularly fierce swing at him. It was rare to get injuries in their practise – rare, but not unheard of. Both of them had good footing, though they were not exactly equal. After all, one had made it through to SOLDIER First-Class while the other had been trained as a Shinra grunt.

One last swing and Zack paused, letting the blade rest on Cloud’s. He grinned, lifting his sword then setting it on his back. “Still your one weakness.”

“Yeah,” Cloud sighed gently. He also placed his sword on his back, reaching up to rub at one shoulder. “Don’t think that’s going to stop being one anytime soon.”

They began walking towards the rest of the crew gathered for the day. Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, and Nanaki had decided to join for the practise session this time, the others being busy elsewhere.

“Aww, don’t say that! Always room for improvement,” Yuffie chirped. “I still don’t get how you never made it to SOLDIER.”

Cloud grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler they brought with them, sitting down heavily on one of the many chairs. He chuckled, opening the bottle with a light shrug. “It’s easy to see why. I’m an Omega, they didn’t get to be in SOLDIER.”

Yuffie, Nanaki, and Barret made noises of surprise, which didn’t shock Cloud himself. It wasn’t as if anyone was asking nor was it any of their business.

“Since when?” Barret demanded.

Raising a brow, Cloud looked over to his friend. “Since I was born?”

Tifa laughed softly as Barret cursed the blonde’s response. “You can’t blame him, Cloud. It’s not like it’s obvious.”

That had been slightly on purpose. Cloud kept that bit of knowledge to himself, not wanting to hear that he’d basically screwed his own chances of finding an Alpha. At first, he hadn’t cared because of being drafted for Shinra. Now, with everything calmed down, he could do what he wished – if not for one tiny detail.

“So, why couldn’t Omegas be in SOLDIER?” Yuffie asked, her brow furrowed as she tried to puzzle it out.

“The mako used to enhance SOLDIER candidates was believed to cause sterilization in Omegas,” Nanaki said, catching Cloud off-guard. “Not wanting to diminish the Omega population, Shinra decided to prohibit their admission. Oddly considerate for them, but they likely had their reasons.”

“Wasn’t the only reason, just the one on paper.” Zack leaned back in his chair, nodding to Cloud with an apologetic smile. “They considered them physically incapable of what SOLDIER was intended for. Shinra also couldn’t abide having liabilities that might start dragging unwanted attention on stealth ops.”

That made Cloud chuckle again, shaking his head. “Of course. It didn’t matter that grunts might blow it, we were expendable.”

A soft noise of disagreement made Cloud look over to Zack. He shrugged, not really apologizing for telling the truth. No one had warned him that he would never be what he dreamed of, not even his own mother. While he didn’t fault anyone for not bursting his dreams, it didn’t matter in the end. For better or worse, he’d gone through the process anyway.

“Damn, never even thought of that,” Barret muttered. “So how come we never had any horn dogs chasing after you? Plenty of opportunities.”

“I think you missed the part where Nanaki said that Omegas become sterile. Wasn’t wrong.”

Cloud tried to ignore the look Tifa gave to him. It was the one reason he didn’t ever bring it up. The last thing he wanted was pity for his lost potential which only aggravated his biological clock that hadn’t been removed along with it. He hadn’t thought much about his lack of heat cycles for a while, the sudden reminder stinging him more than he expected.

Burying the feeling, he let out a soft breath. “Hojo probably had ideas of using me, but he screwed it up.”

“And screwed up the rest of your life,” Zack growled. “Bastard didn’t even care.”

“Like he ever did. I was a perfect candidate to prove them wrong, but all he did was prove them right.” Again, the truth stung his heart. It was true that one never knew what they had until it was gone. “Guess it made me less appetizing to Alphas, too.”

The mood had been significantly pulled down thanks to the conversation. Cloud felt bad for doing it, but it was worth making it clear. He’d had his fill of people trying to hook him up in his life, he didn’t need Yuffie or Barret trying to nudge him in that direction. It hurt bad enough when he remembered, despite having been indifferent when he was younger. Peace had a way of changing a person’s mind about certain things.

Zack stood up, stretching for a moment before looking down at Cloud. “Educational and eye-opening,” he said. Cloud knew he was surprised how open he’d been about it. “I’d like to take a look at your sword, Cloud. Mind coming to my place for a bit?”

Nodding, Cloud also got up, lifting a hand to wave farewell to the others. “See you back at Kalm later.”

“Take some time off for today. Giving everyone else the runaround for rebuilding, you’d just get in the way.” Barret started leading the way back to the town. “See y’all tomorrow.”

Tifa, Yuffie, and Nanaki filed out with their own farewells, leaving Zack and Cloud to bring up the rear. They were in no real hurry, but neither spoke much as they returned to Kalm. It was slightly unnerving for Cloud, as he knew his friend was an Alpha. He wondered if he’d been bothered by the discussion since he’d lost Aerith. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose someone who he could have been with. It was likely harder than lost potential without any real lovers on the plate.

As they entered into Zack’s home, Cloud removed his sword to rest it against the workbench. “Probably needs a good sharpening, but it’s not in bad shape.”

Zack moved fast, as any Alpha could. Cloud was up against a wall before he had time to process what his friend had done. His heart hammered in his chest and he finally gathered himself up enough to look up at the other man.

“W-what the hell?” he stammered, narrowing his eyes.

“Stop thinking you’re broken.”

They were simple words, but they went right to the heart of Cloud’s problem. He thought he was broken, an Omega without any functions of one. In essence, he was now an infertile Beta which appealed to neither Alpha or Beta. Hojo had removed the choice from him, made him unable to decide whether he wanted a family with an Alpha or not. It hurt enough that he didn’t try to think about it, but he didn’t understand why Zack would be upset at this.

Cloud sighed finally, reaching up to put a hand on one of Zack’s arms that were braced beside his head. “Zack, it doesn’t matter. Denying it doesn’t make the truth go away.”

One hand balled into a fist and Cloud knew that Zack was frustrated. With what, he couldn’t even begin to tell. Before he could try to placate his friend, the other was already speaking with a ferocity that surprised the blond.

“Not all Alphas think you’re ‘less appetizing’.” It was with obvious effort that Zack pushed away from the wall and Cloud, running a hand through his messy black hair. “Some of them might even want to give you a chance.”

It’d been a long time since Cloud had heard words that even remotely suggested someone was into him. At one point, he did have an Alpha or two wanting to claim him though he declined them both. Since his capture and alterations at Hojo’s hands, he hadn’t dared to hope that it would happen again. Especially not from a good friend.

“Zack, what are you saying?” Cloud whispered, shaking his head. “Why now?”

A shrug was his answer, Zack moving to sit heavily on the couch in the living room. “Hell if I know. Don’t get me wrong, I cared about Aerith, but I care about you the same way. Not just an Alpha and Omega thing, I promise that.”

Of course it was an Alpha and Omega “thing”. He had no doubt that, had Aerith survived, Zack would have tried to have both of them. One could have given Zack the heirs his Alpha blood desired while the other was…

What exactly?

Omega instincts rose up inside of him and Cloud angrily beat them down. He’d always despised acting like the wistful Omega, rejecting the very idea that he needed to be coddled or cared for. Even so, there was that part of him that wanted it, that part of him which was exhausted with acting so in control all the time. He’d built himself up as a strong, sturdy Omega that he was sure any Alpha that wanted him wouldn’t want the real Omega side of him.

His mind was racing, wandering through pointless things. He cleared his throat, straightening himself as he tried to parse what he was being told.

“Look, if you’re really not into it, I get it. I just thought…”

There was sincerity in Zack’s voice that got through Cloud’s muddled mind and told him it was real. His friend was actually suggesting they become a pair, something that Cloud had never imagined possible. Again, his Omega instincts rose up in response and he nearly choked on them. No matter how broken he was reproductively, he wasn’t so broken that his desires didn’t make themselves known.

Mutely, he went to sit beside his friend. They were both quiet until Cloud spoke. “You know I can’t give you what you really want.”

Zack snorted, mako-blue eyes shifting to peer at Cloud as he flashed him a smirk. “What, you can’t give me companionship, friendship, and the best sex this side of Wall Market?” he quipped.

Cloud could feel his cheeks heat up at the last part, not feeling the need to remind the Alpha he was very much a virgin. He doubted that sex with him would be anything close to what an Alpha could have experienced in Wall Market.

“You know what I meant,” Cloud mumbled, tilting his head to let his hair hide any obvious embarrassment.

“It’s not a guarantee, right?” Despite his earlier teasing, Zack’s voice was gentle. “And even if it is, we’ll deal with it.”

It was obvious Zack would accept Cloud as he was, that was something the blond had no doubt about. Yet, he worried. What if they bonded before finding out if he was incapable of breeding? He trusted Zack, but he knew Alphas had a biological clock that was just as loud as an Omega’s. It all came down to making offspring, something that they couldn’t deny.

Humming softly, Cloud looked over to his friend. “Promise me you’ll tell me if it doesn’t work for you, Zack. I know you think you’ve thought it all through, that you won’t care if I can’t give you a baby.” The disgruntled noise beside him made Cloud smile lightly, knowing he’d hit the nail on the head. “I won’t blame you.”

“Fine,” Zack said with a gusty sigh. “Fine. I promise, but I know what I’m getting into.”

“Do you?” Cloud shot back, looking over completely at the Alpha. He put on his best mischievous grin, getting the appropriate expression of nervous excitement in return.

At the least, they were going to be a good couple for a while.


	2. Barriers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so short, I didn't even realize it. They'll get longer as time goes on.
> 
> I want to say thank you to everyone who's commented, left kudos, bookmarked, and subscribed so far. You've made me enthusiastic to keep posting, so I hope that I don't disappoint those looking forward to what's coming. As an FYI, this work is 100% completed so please don't worry that it won't be 100% posted.

“Yo, Cloud!”

He turned as Barret called to him, gently setting down the load of paint cans he had. Cloud wiped his brow with one forearm, nodding to his friend. “Just bringing up the last of the paint for this new house.”

“I can see that,” Barret said. “You’ve been one hell of a hand to have around.”

Cloud’s smile slipped slightly and he gave Barret a cool look. “Don’t you dare pull me off of work detail. I’ve always been an Omega and I can pull my own weight,” he said. “I know you’ve been trying to bring it up since you found out. Nothing’s changed, Barret. I’m still the same Cloud you knew before you found out what I was.”

Barret stammered a moment before straightening and fixing Cloud with a glare. It was clear that Cloud had figured out what the other man had wanted to say. “Goddammit,” Barret muttered. “Have it your way. Also came here to tell you we’re taking a break for some grub. Usual place.”

“Thanks, I’ll be there.”

As Barret left, Cloud started stacking the cans of paint for further hauling later. He would put them in the respective rooms after eating, so long as no one else did it before him. They had so many people helping that it was hard to stay to one task at times. A task would be set aside for lunch only to be completed later by someone else.

Whether or not the cans were there when he got back, Cloud knew there was still a lot to do. Kalm had become the hotspot for refugees from Midgar after Meteor’s destruction. No one wanted to rebuild on Midgar’s ruins, letting the planet reclaim the area. That suited him just fine as he didn’t want to visit the area Midgar once stood ever again.

Cloud adjusted his navy tank top before he entered the eatery they usually gathered at. It was a full house, even Cid joining them for once. He was having a rather enthusiastic discussion with someone from the transportation council. It seemed like they were finalizing the details of setting up a fleet of airships, opening up air travel across the world.

He took a seat beside Zack, picking up the menu to search through what he was in the mood for. It didn’t take long before he felt eyes on him, making him look up to see Tifa smiling. “What?”

“You tell me,” she said, leaning forward almost eagerly. “You two have been spending a lot of time together. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

While Zack chuckled, Cloud made a noncommittal sound and shrugged. He lifted his menu again to hide his face, knowing Tifa of everyone would be able to read any expression he had. “So what?”

A finger appeared over the top of the menu, pushing it down. “Cloud, don’t be embarrassed. I think it’s a good thing.”

Before he could say anything, Zack wrapped an arm around Cloud’s shoulders. “Thank you.”

It took a moment before Cloud realized that Zack had basically confirmed their nearly two-week long relationship to everyone around the table. Yuffie let out a small squeak of happiness while Barret grunted and nodded. Okay, they essentially had everyone’s blessing, not that he was looking for it. It always bothered him when everyone poked into his private life, but this was something new and barely tested. Things could fall apart.

“Okay, thank you,” Cloud said, looking at everyone at the table. “It’s just a trial run.”

“Wow, sound more enthusiastic,” Zack groused, reaching up to ruffle his Omega’s hair. “Cloud’s got a point that we’re still feeling things out.”

Cid chose that moment to chime in, arching a brow. “So, no fancy marks yet? Shit, you’re young, live it up for once.”

Cloud furrowed his brow, remembering that Cid wasn’t with them during their initial discussion. “Where did you hear about me being an Omega, Cid?”

“What, you think this chatterbox can keep anything quiet for more than two seconds?” Cid replied, jabbing a thumb in Yuffie’s direction. “You’re better off renting a billboard than trusting her with a secret.”

Yuffie flashed an apologetic smile at Cloud before she slipped off her seat. “Excuse me!”

“No point in getting mad now. It wasn’t ever a real secret, no one really needed to know,” Cloud said with a gentle shrug. “It’s never been anyone else’s business.”

He paused to order his lunch, handing back the menu to the waitress. One thing he was grateful for was how they all settled into their usual banter. Barret was still working on town planning while Cid confirmed the new airship routes were opening soon. Once the latter opened, Cloud was sure some of the Midgar refugees would spread out across the rest of the world.

“Time to get back to work,” Barret finally said, emptying his glass of drink. “Find a place that needs your help and figure it out, just like always.”

As the group began to file out, Zack and Cloud took up the rear. There wasn’t ever any rush, but Cloud decided to indulge in the desire to be close to Zack for a little while.

“I don’t know why you got so defensive,” Zack said, breaking the silence between them. “Something wrong with us being together?”

“What? No!” Cloud said, whipping his head to look at the Alpha. Then he paused and furrowed his brow, realizing that it could have easily been construed as being defensive. “I’m sorry.”

Both of them stopped off to one side, letting the foot traffic pass by. Zack put a hand on Cloud’s shoulder, making the blond look up at him. “I get it. We’re both kinda fucked up from what Hojo did to us. You’ve put up a lot of barriers to protect yourself and we’re all trying to tiptoe around them.”

And here he was basically keeping his potential Alpha out using those barriers. They hadn’t even shared so much as a kiss since he agreed to give it a try. Deep down, he was scared of getting too attached, of his defect getting in the way.

As if sensing his thoughts, Zack moved to grab the Omega’s shoulders, looking at him earnestly. “I won’t hurt you, Cloud. You keep thinking you’re so broken that I wouldn’t ever want to bond with you. Can’t you trust me?”

“This is the most touching we’ve done and you’re already thinking of bonding?” Cloud asked incredulously.

“Think about it! We’ve been friends for a long time, this is like a logical step for us.” Once again, there was a pure honesty in Zack’s blue eyes that reflected in his smile. “I fell in love with you because you don’t take any shit, but I was hoping you’d loosen up for an Alpha, even just a little.”

Love, bonds, what else could be on Zack’s mind? Cloud felt his mind reeling slightly from the easy admissions on Zack’s end. To anyone else, it likely would have been obvious to relax around someone you would want to be with. He’d clearly kept his barriers up for far too long.

“You’re right,” Cloud finally murmured. “Think I’ve forgotten how to relax around anyone.”

Eyes brightening, Zack lifted his hands from Cloud’s shoulders. “Then how about we try after work? I’ll bring the food to your place and I’ll teach you how to not act like a hedgehog.”

His immediate instinct was to reject the idea, but Cloud forced himself to nod. He was going to sabotage this one chance he had if he kept up his prickly attitude while also alienating one of his best friends. While he was apprehensive for what Zack had in mind, Cloud wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

“Great. I’ll see you later, then!”

Zack leaned forward a moment before stopping himself, laughing nervously as he settled for a pat on Cloud’s shoulder. It was an obvious attempt to kiss him and Cloud was almost disappointed that he’d been denied it. However, once Zack moved away, it was like all of the sound returned to Cloud’s ears. Seeing all of the people who were around them, he was glad that his first kiss wasn’t in front of a massive number of strangers.

Gathering himself again, Cloud set off back to work. No more acting like the demure Omega.


	3. A Lesson in Relaxation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get spicy in this one, folks. Time to break down those barriers with a battering ram.
> 
> Again, thank you all for everything! Comments, kudos, subs, and bookmarks mean a lot. You're all awesome. 

“That was good!”

Zack stretched out with a satisfied groan before patting his stomach. It hadn’t been the healthiest food, but it _was_ good. It wasn’t as if they didn’t do enough work to get rid of the excess calories, if they’d even stick to their bodies.

He was knocked from his thoughts by a weight on his shoulders, making him look over. It was very clearly Zack’s arm around his shoulders and he had to smirk at the whole production. Instead of tensing, he looked over to the Alpha curiously.

“Really? The old ‘stretch and cuddle’ technique? “

“Can’t knock the classics,” Zack said, shrugging one shoulder.

Letting out a soft breath, Cloud reached up to put his hand on Zack’s. He felt the other starting to pull his arm back and held tightly to keep him where he was.

Though he’d gone back to work like Zack had, Cloud’s mind had spent a lot of time spinning. It’d mostly gotten hung up on whether or not he loved Zack like the Alpha wanted him to. While Zack made it obvious that he already knew he loved Cloud, the Omega hadn’t been as sure. It didn’t help that he wasn’t exactly well-versed in what love was.

He’d loved Tifa, for example. Even though he knew that she was an Omega, he cared for her like the sister that he’d never had. It wasn’t romantic love, which was to both of their benefits because Omega pairings never worked out. Aside from that relationship and the love he had for his mother, Cloud had never had anyone he was romantically interested in before.

After much deliberation, he was sure that he _did_ love Zack. The two were so comfortable around one another and Zack had been right in that it was a logical step forward for their relationship. As an Alpha, Zack had an insight into an Omega’s needs that even an Omega might not know about. He’d been so careful to be mindful of Cloud so he didn’t spook him, something completely against what Zack was all about.

“Zack, the reason I fell in love with you was because you know what you want and you go for it,” Cloud said, casting his mako-blue eyes towards the Alpha. The rest of his head turned as he felt Zack’s arm relax once more. “I’m sorry that you’ve felt like you have to be wary of me.”

It was like someone turned a light on behind Zack’s eyes as they lit up. The words, no matter how hard it’d been to come up with them, was worth the reaction he saw. Cloud did his best not to pull back when the Alpha leaned forward, their faces now quite close. He expected the distance to close, but Zack still hesitated.

“I get it,” Zack said quietly, nodding. “Not like anyone’s ever given you a reason to be yourself without hurting you.”

Yes, Zack very clearly knew Cloud just as well as Cloud knew Zack. They’d danced around the idea for so long, neither of them daring to make a move because of their fears. Now, Zack was closer to him than ever and Cloud could feel that hot breath against his lips which made his heart speed up. Was it fear or excitement?

Both, it was both.

He’d been in thousands of battles, some of which he faced death itself. Closing the distance between their mouths was more difficult than all of them combined. It was a moment of vulnerability that he’d never been subject to before in his life. Even though he knew that Zack wanted it as much as he did, Cloud still had to push his muscles to move that tiny fraction of an inch between them.

Warmth touched his lips and he closed his eyes, feeling an eternity’s worth of tension fall from him. It had shocked Zack, but not for long, and he was soon returning the offered kiss.

How long did they stay like that? Cloud couldn’t even tell the passing of time, only knowing that he had shifted on the couch to press himself up against Zack. Everything inside of him still worked properly, including his much-denied libido. He couldn’t imagine what it was like for an Alpha who had even more intense needs than an Omega when they weren’t in heat.

Eventually, he put a hand on Zack’s chest and pulled away, though it wasn’t far. He opened his eyes, focusing on the ones that mirrored his own. Zack’s eyes were dark with desire, a cue that Cloud didn’t need to think twice about. He failed to pick up many social cues, but this one was unmistakable and easily read.

“I was joking about the sex part, but… _wow_ ,” Zack breathed out.

A soft laugh rose up in Cloud’s throat and he looked away. He knew Zack had experience that he simply didn’t so it was hard not to take what he’d said as a compliment. Taking someone’s breath away for a first time was quite the feat, or so he felt.

Zack cleared his throat, licking his lips with a gentle hum. “Uh, about that. We don’t have to do anything right now, but I might need a cold shower after that.”

“You and me both,” Cloud admitted, shocked as he heard the light rasp in his voice. No wonder Zack had cleared his throat. Doing the same, he tried to ignore the feeling in his abdomen and the uncomfortable hardness in his pants.

Then again, why _should_ he ignore it? They’d waited so long that surely it wasn’t too fast for them to have sex – after two weeks of being in a relationship.

Making a soft noise, Cloud leaned forward to press his lips to Zack’s again. What did it matter if they did it so soon? He’d denied himself so much for so long that all it took was one kiss to unravel him. No matter how hard he tried to deny the Omega inside of him, it was in there and it wouldn’t be denied any longer.

It was Zack who pulled out of their kiss first this time, not even bothering to clear his throat this time. “Is that an ‘I don’t give a damn’ response?”

Was it possible to come from a voice?

Cloud nodded, shifting to get into Zack’s lap. He wasn’t as mindlessly needy as an Omega in heat, a blessing now as he could give proper thought to what he wanted. Of course, it’d been an awfully long time since he’d gone through a heat cycle. He highly doubted they changed that much when an Omega got older.

He pressed himself against his Alpha, letting his intentions be known. It was up to Zack to stop him at this point. Whether he wanted to go forward or not, Cloud was in desperate need to have his desires fulfilled.

Fortunately for his libido, Zack responded in kind, one hand settling on Cloud’s lower back to pull him closer. He pulled away from the kiss yet again, grinning as Cloud protested. “I could get used to you like this,” Zack purred.

Cloud had no chance to respond before he was easily positioned to be picked up. Both of his legs were moved to Zack’s sides and it didn’t take much for him to catch on what was going to happen. He put his hands on Zack’s shoulders just before the Alpha got to his feet. Cloud knew they were going to his bedroom and he braced himself to be dropped on the bed. Zack didn’t disappoint and effectively hovered over the Omega before starting to kiss him again.

His body was almost moving of its own accord, back arching as his hips moved in a desperate attempt to get friction. Cloud had no idea how to make it more obvious that he _needed_ what Zack could give to him.

“Hold on,” Zack muttered with a light chuckle. “And if you apologize, I’m going to make you wait even longer.”

“Wasn’t gonna.” Cloud was beyond apologizing for anything. He even helped get rid of his belt and pants along with his boxers. They ended up somewhere on the floor and he was sure that he’d forget to pick them up for laundry day. Like cared about that at the moment.

It wasn’t until Zack paused that he realized he was more exposed than he’d ever been in years. The way that the Alpha looked at him prevented Cloud from feeling embarrassed. Zack was greedily looking at every inch of exposed skin and Cloud wasn’t going to deny him further.

Sitting up, Cloud slipped his shirt over his head, leaving him completely bare. He leaned back on his hands, doing his best to give Zack the most enticing look he could. Sexual appeal was generally beyond him, but Cloud knew his body was more knowledgeable than his mind.

Zack made a noise that sounded akin to a feral growl, the first sound that Cloud had ever heard him make which signalled his Alpha heritage. First the shirt went then the belt came loose to let both pants and boxers get slipped off. Zack had no hesitation in his movements, not even pausing as Cloud’s eyes went down between the Alpha’s legs.

By the Ancients, Zack was huge.

Cloud swallowed his sudden apprehension, pulling his eyes back up to Zack’s. It was the distraction he needed, the look in his Alpha’s eyes grounding him. He’d be fine, he was built for taking whatever an Alpha could throw at him. Besides, the large knot he’d spotted was only stoking the fire in his belly.

Like he could tell that Cloud was in need of realignment, Zack leaned in and gently nipped at the Omega’s neck. It wasn’t hard enough to mark, not that Cloud cared if they bonded at the moment. It was pure lust speaking so he was glad that at least one of them had the mind to stop themselves from going too far.

Hands slid up Cloud’s body, feeling everything on the way. All the scars, every last sensitive spot which made the Omega’s breath hitch in his throat. Why had he denied himself this for so damn long?

Soon, Zack had shifted his way to between Cloud’s legs. “Ready?” he rasped, giving Cloud one last chance to turn back.

Reaching up with one hand, Cloud put it on Zack’s chest. He appreciated how Zack always fought against his nature where most Alphas just went for it. However, both of them were terrible at denying their inner desires, denying exactly what they were. Cloud was an Omega and he needed an Alpha to fuck him.

He nodded once, shifting to what he hoped was a comfortable position. “Don’t hold back,” Cloud breathed. He could only grin at the surprise in Zack’s eyes at the demand. “I can take it.”

Not that he had any metric to go by. Cloud knew from the classes he’d taken growing up that some Alphas were more feral than others. Some of them could lose control and harm their Omegas whether they wanted to or not. He trusted that Zack wouldn’t fall into that category.

There were no words as Zack positioned his thick cock at Cloud’s vaginal entrance. They didn’t need foreplay tonight, and Cloud wasn’t about to ask for it. Exploration could wait for when their suppressed natures had gotten what they wanted.

Cloud was more than ready, though it felt like he was being stretched impossibly wide as Zack pushed into him. The Alpha lifted Cloud’s legs, giving him better access to go as deep as he possibly could. Cloud clenched the hand on his Alpha’s chest into a fist, arching his back with a low groan of obvious pleasure which seemed to encourage Zack to keep going.

Curling his toes when he felt his lover as far in as he could go, Cloud shifted once more. He felt so full and now he couldn’t imagine taking in the fat knot that was going to fill him further. “Fuck,” he hissed as his muscles tensed around Zack’s cock.

“Keep doing that,” Zack murmured as he started moving.

Just as he’d asked, Zack didn’t hold back anything. It was rough, the Alpha’s fingers digging gently into Cloud’s legs as he thrust. Cloud’s hands shot up to rest on Zack’s shoulders, his own fingers dragging down the other’s skin. He got completely lost in the sensations, his ears faintly registering that he was being rather loud.

Something hot and wet touched Cloud’s neck, Zack having leaned in to run his tongue over his Omega’s skin. Cloud’s ears picked up the growls that punctuated each thrust, followed by hot pants of air. While he briefly had a fear that a bite was coming next, Cloud’s lust-addled mind discarded it. A bond now might be a mistake, but he was beyond caring.

He felt arms around him and the world tilted, Cloud suddenly finding himself on top of Zack. Not missing a beat, Cloud started moving on his own, his hands resting on Zack’s chest. He could feel the rumbling growls as he bounced on the Alpha’s cock, grinning as he sat down heavily and began to grind against the other’s knot.

“Ah, _fuck_ , Cloud,” Zack groaned, reaching up to grasp Cloud’s hips.

Now he was being pulled down harder and Cloud arched his back with a loud curse as he felt an orgasm ripple through him. To his credit, Zack didn’t even slow down, making his Omega ride out the sensations and clearly savouring the noises Cloud made.

That was the thing with Omegas. They could easily have multiple orgasms if the Alpha was good enough. On his own, Cloud had managed it, but they all paled in comparison to the real deal. It was unfortunate that Alphas generally had one good orgasm in them once they knotted, but it was always long and drawn out.

Cloud let out a whine as he felt himself lifted off of Zack’s dick, unable to stop himself from being the wanton Omega he was inside. The emptiness didn’t last long as they shifted to have Cloud laying face down on the bed while Zack roughly thrust back inside. Cloud was sure he was louder this time, feeling Zack’s hands on his shoulders as he all but pounded him into the bed.

Another orgasm ripped an embarrassing shriek from Cloud’s throat, his hands gripping the sheets tightly. Barely able to move, he arched his back to let his ass angle upwards. He could feel the knot hammering at his hole and vaguely registered that he was begging for it.

He felt the hot breath against the back of his neck as Zack changed from thrusting to pressure, Cloud’s muscles reluctantly loosening to allow the knot inside. It was almost a howl that Zack let out when he knotted, a few shallow thrusts ensuring he was snug inside before he came. It was Zack’s turn to grind against Cloud as he moaned and growled through his orgasm.

Cloud could only groan as yet another climax rippled through him, his muscles working overtime to milk every last drop of cum from his Alpha. He wasn’t prepared for the feeling of his womb expanding from the sheer amount of it. That was probably the closest he’d be to feeling pregnant.

Eventually, Zack lowered himself to cover Cloud as he tried tugging the tie. It was a touch of discomfort that passed quickly and Zack didn’t try again, seemingly satisfied they were stuck together.

“Shit, you’re amazing,” Zack mumbled, planting kisses over Cloud’s shoulders and back.

Cloud hummed as he settled as best he could, one hand going down to rub at his full stomach. “Right back at you.” His voice was a bit raspy from his noises earlier. He could only hope his neighbours didn’t get angry.

The two fell into simply appreciating the afterglow which led to them falling asleep at some point. Cloud was sure he’d never slept so soundly in his life.


	4. Sealing the Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of Alpha/Omega world building in this one. It was long enough so, alas, no smut, but there's plenty of opportunities for that yet.
> 
> Once more, thank you to everyone for your lovely comments! All the comments, kudos, bookmarks, and subscriptions really lift my spirits and make my day. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. 

Weeks passed and even Cloud noticed some of the changes in himself since their first time together. Others definitely noticed as well, somewhat surprised at how open he could be with Zack. They were all good changes, ones he’d needed to make. Zack had truly taught him how to relax that one night they’d spent together.

It hadn’t escaped his notice that he still hadn’t had a heat cycle nor had he felt any different in that regard. The worry that Zack would want more sooner rathe than later continued to plague his mind, though not as often as it used to. It was hard to feel that fear when Zack frequently asked to share Cloud’s bed.

“That should be the last of it,” Zack grunted, patting the top of the barrel he set down. “Ready for shipment to the local watering holes.”

“Those airships Cid set up have helped a lot. We won’t have to construct new houses for a while,” Tifa said, holding out a bottle of water.

As if he’d just remembered something, Zack muttered his thanks to Tifa and turned to Cloud. “I was actually thinking that maybe we should take up one of the open houses.”

“Isn’t that way too much space for us?” Cloud asked in confusion. “I think we’d be better off choosing to live on one of our apartments.”

Tifa grinned slyly at the boys. “Streamlining the process, are we?”

Cloud made a face and tried not to go red. “It just makes sense if we’re spending so much time together already.”

Zack emptied his bottle, nodding with a bright grin. “I still think we should get our own place. We’d be able to do what we wanted with it and wouldn’t have to worry about neighbours.” He shrugged, shaking his head. “And who knows what we can do with the extra space. It’s planning for the future.”

Future? What future? There wasn’t a future where the two of them would be able to add to their little clan. Unless Zack was already considering getting another Omega to ensure that his genes carried on since Cloud couldn’t. Their relationship still felt so new that he couldn’t even begin to think of sharing his Alpha with someone else.

“Right,” he finally said quietly. “I’m going to deliver these shipment papers to the bars.”

He couldn’t deal with it at the moment, especially not in front of Tifa. While he wasn’t about to turn it into a big argument, he needed time to process the idea.

He never imagined he’d be the jealous type of Omega who didn’t want to share, but it made more sense for Zack to get another Omega. He wanted children and Cloud couldn’t provide that. Then Cloud would be expected to help raise a child that wasn’t his own. He didn’t doubt he could fall in love with said child, he knew it wouldn’t mean as much as a baby he carried himself. 

“Cloud!”

The Omega stopped as he heard Zack’s voice, turning around and feeling slightly proud of himself for getting the Alpha to stop in his tracks. He hadn’t intended for it, but he was sure his sour mood was perfectly reflected in his face.

“What?” he snapped.

Zack motioned for Cloud to follow him, something the blond did reluctantly. They both entered an alleyway, ducking behind a stack of boxes. It wasn’t as good as talking about it at home, but it would have to do.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Zack sighed.

“Damn right you weren’t,” Cloud growled. “You know what bothers me the most. Nothing’s changed even if we’ve been going at it like teenagers for the past few weeks.”

A soft chuckle at the words caused Cloud’s anger to slip away slightly. “I know and I’m really sorry. Didn’t mean to make it sound like you’re not enough for me.”

Shaking his head with a heavy sigh, Cloud leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. “No, I understand. Eventually I’ll have to accept another Omega and it’s not right that I make you feel like you can’t.” He laughed softly. “I’m not the one who’s supposed to be in control here.”

Zack didn’t insult Cloud by denying it. He was a laid-back kind of Alpha, but he was still an Alpha and he expected some respect. If he wanted to add another Omega to the clan, he would. It wasn’t up to Cloud to choose if – or when – that happened. He would have to curb his jealousy as much as possible and simply be happy that he was part of a family.

“You’re enough, Cloud. I want to prove it to you.” Zack didn’t continue until Cloud looked at him, pulling out a piece of paper with a sigil on it. “If you’re okay with it, I want to bond with you the right way.”

The sigil was of a wolf’s face with a burst behind it. It was the Alpha’s sigil Zack would have developed in his classes growing up, something that he would now use to mark his Omega. More feral Alphas preferred the old way of biting, but some held to their sigil which would represent their clan no matter how big or small it was. This mark was what he wanted Cloud to bear.

Relaxing his stance, Cloud looked from the sigil to Zack. “Are you sure you want me as your first?”

Being a “first” as an Omega was a position of power in a clan. While an Alpha could have as many bonds as he pleased, the first in the chain was the strongest. They were the Alpha among the Omegas, to put it simply. It would give him priority in many things, including when he shared Zack’s bed or how a child was raised. Cloud almost couldn’t imagine what it would be like for another Omega to be put under the heel of an infertile first.

Zack simply nodded, looking at his Omega hopefully. “Why wouldn’t I? You deserve it and I’d rather have you put in charge.” He paused a moment. “You know what I mean.”

He did. What Zack was saying was that he wanted to ensure that any Omega he chose would be firmly under Cloud’s position. Unbound Omegas were even lower in the hierarchy and Cloud almost didn’t put it past Zack from keeping any secondary Omega unbound for some time.

“It’s a big step.” Cloud said nothing more for a moment as he mulled it over before he gently nodded his assent. “You can be so irritating,” he grumbled, reaching forward to grab Zack’s shirt and pulling him closer, “but I want to be your first.”

Taking the cue, Zack leaned down to press his lips to Cloud’s ever so briefly. “Thank you. I know just the place.”

Cloud pulled back slightly, waving the papers he still had on him. “Who’s going to deliver these?”

Zack cursed under his breath as he took the papers from Cloud’s hands. “Hold on. Let me get these back to Tifa and tell her what’s going on.”

There was no chance for Cloud to protest as he was kissed quickly and Zack left for the pier. He hadn’t even been told to stay put or move into a clearer view, but he decided to do the latter. Cloud exited the alley to wait for his Alpha to return, leaning against one of the buildings as he did.

He’d gone from being extremely irritated to falling in love all over again. Idly, he supposed that was what a relationship was: a little give and take. Cloud was about to take a lot since Zack allowed it and he wasn’t about to squander that trust. It secured him a spot in the clan in a way he never imagined and, if the time came that Zack took another Omega, he’d be on top.

A rush of excitement ran through him as he tried to imagine where the mark would go. Knowing Zack, he’d want it to be as obvious as possible. As long as it wasn’t on his face, he would go along with wherever his Alpha chose. That was how it worked.

When Zack reappeared, Cloud moved to fall in step beside him. It was actually happening despite all of his fears and worries from before. Though he would still feel somewhat inadequate as an Omega, this did lift his spirits.

Zack tapped Cloud’s arm and pointed to an obvious tattoo parlour off to one side. They turned into it, the owner looking up from a magazine he was reading.

“Welcome to Kalm’s only tattoo shop, what can I do you for?” he asked, flipping his magazine closed.

“A bonding pair,” Zack said, putting down his sigil on the counter. “How much is it?”

Most tattoo parlours had one person who was good at working with bonding tattoos. It required a special ink mixed with the blood of the Alpha and Omega. While it wasn’t exactly a science, it wasn’t something any random person could do without some training.

The owner jabbed a thumb at the board off to one side. “Ten thousand Gil for both. I’ve been doing them for a while so you’re in good hands and it’ll save you the trip to somewhere else.”

Zack wasted no time digging into his pocket for his wallet, pulling out the money. Clearly the Alpha had been wanting to do this for some time and had been saving up for it. The cost was fairly reasonable, all things considered. It made Cloud wonder how many bonding tattoos were done in Kalm these days.

They were led to a back room as he got an assistant to mind the front of the store. It was a comfortable room they were ushered into with a couch off to one side. The owner motioned for Cloud to sit in the chair where the tattoo would undoubtedly be done.

“Name’s Joseph but you can call me Joe. Guessing this is the first one for both of you?”

Cloud nodded at the same time Zack did, following Joe’s request to extend his left arm. At least he was far beyond being afraid of needles and he didn’t flinch as one was inserted and blood was drawn. The same was done for Zack before Joe sat down to start mixing the ink.

“Been getting a good trickle of requests lately. Your sigil looks nice.” Joe mixed the ink with ease, marking one pot with an “O” while the other was “A”. It was likely obvious to anyone who was what, but Cloud was amused that they weren’t even asked. “Let me make two copies while you decide where the mark goes.”

When Joe left, Cloud looked over to Zack with a slight smirk. “Did you notice he didn’t even ask who was the Alpha?”

“I think he’s pretty used to the ‘old ways’ where the Alpha dominates everything. When you come to get something like this done, you have to expect it,” Zack said, shrugging one shoulder.

“Which means he’ll ask you where the mark goes.” Though Cloud expected it, he was still sometimes surprised by how Omegas could be looked down upon.

Zack reached up with one hand to touch the left side of his neck, just above the collarbone. “Just my suggestion, but I’m open to your ideas.”

Cloud mimicked what Zack had done then nodded. It was visible and not intrusive. “That’s your favourite place to kiss me,” he murmured, casting a glance to Zack who nodded. “What about you?”

“Other side,” he replied, tapping his neck in the proper place. “Kinda want to see it as often as possible, even though we’ll feel it.”

Joe returned, handing the original paper with Zack’s sigil on it back to the Alpha. “All right, you got an idea of where you want this?” he asked, looking directly at Zack who motioned to the previously mentioned spot. “You got it.”

Wanting to distract himself from his nervousness, Cloud watched as the artist got out the tools he’d need. Fresh needles were pulled from a drawer, opened and set inside of the tattoo gun. Joe took the pot he’d labelled with an “A” then sat down in a chair beside Cloud. One of the copies of the sigil was pressed to Cloud’s neck, transferring the outline to his skin.

“Most people zone out when this is done. Just as well as they usually say it doesn’t hurt no matter where it’s set.” Joe got up once more, positioning Cloud’s head to one side and swivelling the headrest to accommodate him. “Let’s get started.”

The buzzing of the gun started and Cloud made a noise as he felt the needle touch his skin. It felt strange, like strings being pulled through his skin as the tattoo was outlined. He could hear Joe and Zack talking but couldn’t make out the words, like they were speaking somewhere in a back room. Though it definitely didn’t hurt, he could feel an intense burning sensation where the mark was being applied.

When the buzzing stopped, Cloud opened his eyes and winced slightly. “You didn’t say it’d burn,” he said, one hand flexing as he stopped himself from touching it.

Joe merely chuckled, setting aside his tools. “That’s a good thing. It means there’s a strong bond between you.” He motioned for Zack to come over and put up a hand to get Cloud to stay put. “Seal it with your tongue, and no funny business in my parlour.”

Tongue? Cloud was surprised but didn’t get a chance to voice any sort of protest before Zack’s tongue was on his neck. The burning sensation simmered down, though he could still acutely feel where the tattoo was. He refrained from touching the spot, only looking up at Zack and nodding with a smile. They shared a kiss before Cloud got up to take a seat off to one side.

Joe began the motions again, positioning Zack’s head to one side and letting him relax on the headrest while he worked. This time, when the buzzing started, Cloud didn’t tune out anything. He could tell that Zack was now the one lost in whatever spell a bonding tattoo weaved.

“So, how’s it feel to be his first?” Joe asked.

Cloud started as he wasn’t expecting to be spoken to, but he quickly recovered. “It feels surreal. We haven’t been officially together for very long.”

Nodding once, Joe’s eyes went up briefly to Cloud. “Young and in love, but it takes more than that for a bond. Bet you already knew that,” he said, returning his eyes to his work. “I’d venture a guess you’ve been in love for a lot longer. Always like it when pairs complain about how it feels, means that there’s less of a chance you’ll be back for removal.”

It was obvious the man had seen many Alphas and Omegas come through his parlour. He had probably dealt with Alphas who mistreated Omegas, and possibly even vice versa. Cloud was positive he would never come back here to get the tattoo removed.

The gun stopped once more and it was Zack’s turn to gripe about how much it burned. At first, Cloud didn’t move, but prompting from Joe suggested he had to do the same thing Zack had done to him. Perhaps he didn’t have to draw it out as long as he did, but he always savoured the taste of his Alpha’s skin.

“I can tell you’re both itching to touch them. You can, just be gentle with them for the next week. No bites or scratches so you don’t mar the mark,” Joe said, starting to clean up his workstation. He pulled out a jar of salve, holding it out for one of them to take. “Use this, it’ll heal it up real nice. Congratulations to the both of you.”

Zack took the salve and got up. Cloud knew the echo of excitement he felt was from Zack, their blood bond resonating already. It would take time to get used to the echoes and feelings that didn’t come from themselves. Harkening back to his classes, Cloud knew that he was lucky to know where he ended and Zack began. Some took a long time and required extra classes to maintain the intensity of a bond.

Both of them said their thanks then left the parlour. It had been an experience hard to explain to anyone, like time had narrowed down to the small area in the tattoo parlour where they’d been marked. Cloud knew he wouldn’t be able to give anyone an inkling of what it felt like to be bonded.

A hand at his back brought Cloud out of his thoughts, looking up at Zack. “I think I’ll always feel where this tattoo is,” he said, reaching up to gently run his fingers over the sigil. “Joe said he liked it when clients complained about the burning because it means the bond is strong.”

“Sorry for earlier,” Zack said, and Cloud could _feel_ the apology as well as hear it.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it too much. It’s something I have to work at.” Perhaps now he could stop feeling like he was a failure of an Omega. “Eventually, we’ll get a home somewhere for ourselves.”

Hope. That was hope that Zack was feeling at the moment. It was impossible to tell what thoughts accompanied the feelings, but Cloud himself hoped that Zack wasn’t wishing for the unattainable.

“For now, where’s ‘home’?” Zack asked.

Cloud slipped his arm around Zack’s waist, leaning against him with a soft smile. “Your place? I can start packing tomorrow.”

It was beyond time that he settled into his new life.


	5. Moving Distractions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys can't be denied. Bit of exposition, more smut. Sorry, not sorry.
> 
> As always, thank you all for everything! Things will pick up in the next chapter.

“Tifa!” Cloud called, jogging to catch up to his friend. “I need a bit of help.”

She turned then her eyes went down to his neck, both hands coming up to cover her mouth. Tifa looked back up to Cloud’s face, eyes bright with excitement. “Is that a bonding tattoo?”

So, Zack hadn’t told her what he was up to. Cloud nodded, lifting a hand to brush his fingers over the mark. “We got it yesterday. He wanted me as his first.”

The implication was clear without him saying it. By being the first, any Omega after him would almost be a surrogate. He didn’t doubt Zack could fall in love again, but the Alpha tended to be choosy with his heart.

“You’re lucky,” Tifa murmured. It took a moment more before she shook her head, a smile returning to her face. “What did you need my help for?”

He didn’t speak up right away, picking up on Tifa’s emotions. “Is something wrong?”

She shook her head again before sighing gently. “No, not really. I could only hope to be as lucky as you are. There’s an Alpha who’s been watching me and I think he might ask to court. He can’t possibly be single.”

Cloud smiled lightly. “You never know. Don’t start thinking of bonding already, sounds like you haven’t even spoken to the guy.”

“You’ve got me there. I might take the plunge now, seeing how you and Zack already have.” Tifa tilted her head. “Sorry about getting off topic.”

“It’s fine. I’m trying to move into Zack’s place and I need some boxes for packing,” he explained.

“What’s all this about moving?”

Both Cloud and Tifa turned as they heard Barret’s voice. He was walking up to them with Yuffie and Nanaki in tow. Yuffie was the first one to notice the tattoo on Cloud’s neck, letting out an excited squeak as she bounced in place. Once Barret saw it, he made a soft noise and nodded once.

“I get it now. If you’re moving in with him, take the time off. Was looking for you anyway,” Barret said. “All of y’all are getting some vacation time while the city works out what to do next. You’ve earned it after all the building we’ve done over the past few months.”

Yuffie had gotten closer to Cloud who was trying to prevent her from touching his tattoo. She was distracted enough when Barret mentioned a vacation. “Good! I was thinking of going home to Wutai for a while. Gotta check up on everyone.”

“Yes, me as well. I yearn for the quiet of Cosmo Canyon,” Nanaki said, shaking his head slightly. “By the way, congratulations on your bond, Cloud. I wish you both the best.”

“Thanks.” Cloud reached up to swat away Yuffie’s hand once more. “Will you stop that? I don’t want the mark to get ruined.”

She immediately stopped, putting her hands behind her back. “So, I guess this is goodbye for a while. Are you sure I can’t give it one little poke? Would Zack feel it?”

“No and I doubt it. We can feel each other’s emotions, not physical touches. And before you ask, no, we can’t read each other’s minds. It’s…” Cloud trailed off, once again failing to find the words to describe how it felt. He shrugged helplessly, much to the amusement of Barret and Tifa. “Can’t explain it. It means a lot to us both.”

“Are you done? Cloud, you and Zack are getting time off, but I’d like to talk to you both about getting on security detail.” Barret gestured at the crowds of people. “We’ve got some old Shinra grunts, but we could use someone to keep them in order. Like hell they listen to me.”

Cloud was definitely surprised at the offer, a sudden apprehension hitting him. “I doubt they’d listen to me, either. No one likes taking orders from an Omega.”

Barret snorted. “Like anyone could tell with your hard ass.”

“You’d be surprised how many can tell at first glance. I’m not turning down the offer, just know that sometimes I’ll end up being harsher than usual,” Cloud said, flashing Barret a smirk. “I’ll bring it up to Zack when I see him. He’s waiting for me to bring boxes to the apartment to start packing.”

“Oh, right! There’s plenty of spare boxes around from all of the shipments we’ve been getting,” Tifa said. “I’d love to pitch in, but I have work at the bar.”

Bouncing on her heels, Yuffie gave a wave to everyone. “And I have an airship to catch. Cid will never let me hear the end of it if I’m late.” She didn’t give Cloud a chance to complain as he was hugged and kissed on the cheek, then Yuffie moved on to do the same to everyone else except Nanaki. “Come on, Nanaki! We’re outta here!”

The two left, giving Barret, Tifa, and Cloud a chance to finally breathe. Barret grunted, waving a hand as he started walking. “Got a council meeting to get to. Good luck, we’ll be in touch.”

Sighing gently, Cloud turned to Tifa with a shrug. “Guess Zack and I are on our own. Lucky, I don’t have much stuff to move and the furniture stays with the apartment.”

“Come on, I’ll get to work and you can steal some of our empty boxes. I don’t think Jules will mind.”

He was glad for the calmer moments as he rummaged through boxes, picking up several that had been flattened. They were enough for his meagre possessions to be transported a few blocks through the city. Zack had also secured a small cart to move them as neither of them wanted to balance boxes.

Cloud bid Tifa farewell – and ‘good luck’ with the Alpha she was eyeing. His friend and fellow Omega deserved to be just as happy as he was. He only hoped that she would take some time with getting to know him, just as Cloud and Zack had done though maybe for not as long.

“I’m back,” Cloud called as he got back into the apartment. He dropped the boxes near the couch as he went looking for the packing tape. “Zack?”

Arms wrapped around him from behind and, if he didn’t have the sigil, Cloud was sure he would’ve jumped out of his skin. As it was, he felt the warmth of pure adoration and affection flow through him, making him smile. He returned the feelings in turn, one hand resting on his Alpha’s arm.

“How surprised were they?” Zack asked, leaning down to bury his face in Cloud’s neck.

“Tifa was jealous, Yuffie wanted to touch it, Barret and Nanaki approved.” He tilted his head, letting out a noise as Zack pressed kisses to his throat. “We’ve also got some vacation time. Barret suggested we take up security duty because he thinks they’d listen to us.”

Zack grunted softly and Cloud registered the mild irritation. “We’ll figure that out later,” he muttered. “Going to really enjoy that time off.”

Laughing breathlessly, the Omega finally picked up on the desire in Zack. “There’s packing to be done.”

“Sure is. Me, packing you full.”

A shiver went up Cloud’s spine at the suggestion. They had definitely been active in their sex life and Cloud had a hard time finding a single day they hadn’t gone at each other. How they hadn’t gotten noise complaints, he had no idea. The neighbours were likely going to celebrate once they were in another apartment and terrorizing someone else.

Hands went under his t-shirt and Cloud leaned back with a light moan. Regardless of the frequency, he wasn’t about to say he _disliked_ it. In fact, he felt better than ever with the amount of dick he got. Maybe there would come a time when he would tire of being stuffed full, but now wasn’t that moment.

“Bedroom?”

Cloud nodded eagerly, feeling his feet leave the ground as he was picked up. Zack took the roll of tape and tossed it off to one side as they made their way to the bedroom. It wasn’t even remotely responsible since he had to be out by nightfall tomorrow, but he was sure they’d be fine. Probably.

There was a loud _whump!_ as Cloud hit the bed, Zack moving faster than the Omega had time to register. Shoes, socks, pants, and boxers came off quickly, leaving him bare for Zack’s whims. Today, he was more than eager to suck Cloud off, taking the Omega’s cock into his mouth without hesitation.

Male Omegas were the lucky ones. They had the capacity to have two separate orgasms in rapid succession, a discovery that had pleased Zack early on. Now he couldn’t get enough of it, mouth on Cloud’s dick while fingers went up his pussy. Personally, Cloud felt like Zack just liked making his Omega beg for more. Zack was fortunate that Cloud enjoyed it just as much.

“ _Zack_ ,” he groaned, reaching down to thread his fingers in his Alpha’s hair.

Both were still getting used to their bond and the shared emotions, but this was far from confusing. As Cloud had said, they didn’t share physical touch, but he knew Zack could feel the love and lust that he felt. The night before, they’d spent a lot of time exploring it, testing what it felt like.

He squirmed as Zack curled his fingers and began to thrust them into him quickly. Cloud gasped, his body bucking as a sudden orgasm went through him. Several curses fell from his mouth as Zack didn’t relent, tongue swirling around the head of his cock.

“Zack, I-I’m gon- _ah!_ ”

Cloud’s back arched and it took Zack to hold him down as he came again, this time filling his lover’s mouth with his seed. It always took him so embarrassingly fast to come, though he knew that was how Omegas worked. What he lacked in staying power he made up for in the sheer quantity of orgasms he could have. Built to last so an Alpha could do as he pleased without having to over-stimulate the Omega.

Licking his lips as he pulled back, Zack grinned as he saw how limp Cloud already was. He stood and began to remove his own clothes, clambering onto the bed to lay on his back. There was no need to even suggest what to do next as Cloud moved to straddle his Alpha.

There was a pause as Cloud pulled off his shirt, almost preening as he felt attraction through their bond. He didn’t need to return the favour, but he did as he looked down, hands sliding up Zack’s body. An Alpha couldn’t take as much foreplay as an Omega, though the two barely bothered with it as it was. Cloud was sure that it came with age or something.

Already Zack was trying to get his cock into Cloud, making the Omega chuckle. “I get it, hold on,” he chastised. Only with Zack would he ever be this vulnerable. Others would, as Barret had put it, have to deal with his “hard ass”. It felt nice to have someone he could be himself with.

Fingers traced the body Cloud now knew as well as his own. Even more scars than Cloud possessed, obvious places where fractures had occurred, all of it adding up to someone who drove the Omega absolutely wild in and out of bed. It was rare that he got the chance to admire what Cloud considered “his” – a sentiment that any Alpha would eventually break from him. It was a thought he kept to himself even if the feelings would always be known in some capacity.

He finally shifted, positioning Zack properly then he took him in one movement. It still felt like he was being stretched and filled, a momentary discomfort that passed too quickly for him to care. The lustful groan that Zack let out was enough to wipe it away.

Fast and hard or slow and steady? Cloud went with something in between, taking what Zack had offered him. The way the Alpha’s intense blue eyes were looking at him, Cloud knew he wanted to watch him work. He felt that he was getting better at reading signals – well, the ones Zack gave to him in bed, at least.

He moved languidly, keeping his hands upon Zack’s chest to give him leverage. He’d learned fairly early that he lacked the ability to force the knot into himself, even when riding. The orgasms he’d go through would prevent Cloud from having the strength to do it. Shockingly, a body in the throes of passion wasn’t always as strong as you’d think.

As always, it got hard to think as he kept moving, his need driving him forward for more. Zack’s cock rubbed him in all the right ways, making him moan in pure pleasure. The more he focused on it, the more his muscles tensed until he gasped and groaned as another orgasm went through him. It caused him to lose his rhythm and he settled for grinding his way through the aftershocks.

“That’s it,” Zack purred, reaching up to run a hand down Cloud’s chest. “Ride it out, beautiful.”

Beautiful. Zack had taken to calling him that, and he meant it with everything in him. Cloud could feel it, just like he felt all other emotions they now shared. The bond had unchained them both in ways he hadn’t expected. No one would recognize Cloud when he was alone with his Alpha and that was the way he liked it.

Cloud moved a hand to cover the one Zack had on his chest as he started to move properly again. How many would Zack want out of him this time before he claimed him? He was enjoying these small, undeclared challenges that he’d be given. Of course, sometimes they’d be cut short when the impatient Alpha would demand his due.

Soft murmurs of encouragement managed to reach above Cloud’s own vocalizations, unable to keep quiet for too long. Each new orgasm would be louder, going from a groan to an embarrassingly high shriek. Then there were times when Zack would stroke him, giving him double orgasms that made him shake hard – like today.

Zack’s fingers played along Cloud’s sensitive dick, making him skip a beat in his rhythm. The pattern changed when he wrapped his hand around Cloud’s cock and began pumping him. Thrust forward then press back to take his Alpha into his body. Intense as it was, Cloud loved every second of it as he felt himself reach two orgasms at the same time.

As always, he stopped, his back arching as he let out a strangled cry. His whole body trembled and soon Zack held him close, whispering endearments into Cloud’s ear.

“Easy, I’ve got you.”

They turned over so Cloud was on his back, moving his hands up to grab at the pillows around him. Such a movement had made his pussy clench harder, knowing what was to come. Hands were put behind his knees, Zack pushing Cloud’s legs up to give him the best leverage. It was a warning for the Omega to brace himself which he took without question.

Now Zack did all the work, pulling back then slamming back in. He wanted one more at least, or maybe he wanted two more. Zack had switched them from a calm pace to raw and hard, making Cloud cry out as he was taken.

Cloud felt a hand of his guided to his own cock and he nodded, beginning to stroke himself while Zack watched. Zack had said he’d enjoyed the feeling of Cloud having a double orgasm when he knotted. It wasn’t hard to understand why and like hell Cloud was going to complain when he himself enjoyed them as well.

His body tensed as he felt it coming again and Zack rolled with it easily. Cloud’s pussy clenched just as the knot slipped in, locking it in tight. With one press of his thumb, Cloud’s cock released its load, leaving him arching as every nerve practically sang with pleasure. Zack’s shallow thrusts before he growled his own triumph dragged it out further. He would orgasm again and again before that knot went down enough to be removed.

“Shit, _Zack_ ,” Cloud moaned, feeling a hand on his swollen stomach.

They rolled over once more, finding it easier for Cloud to lay down on top of Zack afterwards. It didn’t always work out that way depending on their positions, but there were never any complaints from Cloud how they rested. Even if he were on his stomach right now, he’d take the pressure and enjoy it.

Cloud rolled his hips with a groan, his muscles squeezing Zack’s knot tightly. He wanted it all, every last drop he could get before it would leave him. At least this way he wouldn’t feel so empty later.

“Damn, Cloud, you’re really milking it,” Zack grunted, holding to the Omega’s hips. It wasn’t to impede but to help, the way of giving back that Cloud loved so much.

Both of them rode out his cascade of orgasms before Cloud wore himself out, flopping forward onto Zack with a heated breath. Sometimes the need to be filled was stronger than other times. He often wondered if his Alpha understood that which was why he encouraged it.

Zack embraced Cloud with a contented noise and they both settled in for a good rest. There would be plenty of time to pack later – _after_ laundry was done yet again.


	6. The Unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd here we go. Things will get a bit more interesting from here, though you can expect a few more rambly chapters. I do like to carry on.
> 
> As always, thanks go out to commenters, kudos leavers, bookmarkers, and subscribers. You make a girl's heart happy. ❣️

“Cloud, you’re still not up yet?”

Zack’s voice cut through the deep sleep that Cloud was in, his eyes opening slowly then closing quickly. He’d been so tired these past few days that he’d slept in far beyond what was acceptable for someone working to keep the peace. Worse was the random nausea and headaches, the way he’d easily snap at anyone who annoyed him, all of which he chalked up to his fatigue.

He forced himself up to a sitting position, reaching up to run a hand down one side of his face. “Sorry. Can’t get enough sleep these days.”

Worry became apparent in their bond and Cloud couldn’t exactly deny he felt the same. It would be just his luck for things in his body to go awry when no one specialized in the experiments he went through now. Yet another thing that had always hovered in the back of his mind.

Getting to his feet, Cloud followed Zack to the kitchen, sitting at the table with a grunt. A cup of coffee was placed in front of him which made his stomach do a very unsettling flip. Making a face, he pushed it aside and focused instead on trying to eat the toast that had been made. Even that was difficult, making him shake his head.

“I’m going to go to the clinic after I shower. They might not know exactly what’s wrong with me, but maybe we can get a good idea what to blame.”

Cloud was, of course, referring to the Jenova cells that were inside of him. He doubted that any local doctor would be able to understand such things nor did _he_ know how to explain it. A doctor could rule out a lot of things, at least.

“I’ll come with you,” Zack said, taking the coffee away and drinking it himself.

“I’d appreciate it, but someone has to be there to keep the newbies in line.” When he saw that his Alpha was going to protest, Cloud got to his feet and put a hand on Zack’s chest. “When I know something, I’ll come see you. I promise.”

Zack grumbled mutinously for a moment before he sighed. “Fine, but I’m going to hold you to that.”

Zack left before Cloud did, though it was with much reluctance. It took more promises to get him to go to work which was more exhausting than actually getting ready to go out.

The clinic was quiet, which Cloud was grateful for. He went to the reception desk, steeling himself for the inevitable questions he would be getting.

“Good morning,” the receptionist chirped with a smile. “New patient? I don’t recognize you.”

He nodded and was handed a clipboard with a piece of paper and a pen. “Fill out this for our records then return it. The doctor will ask you about your current symptoms.”

Filling things like a medical form out was interesting to say the least. He couldn’t exactly put down that he was normal aside from having Jenova cells and being a former experiment. What he could put down was that he’d recovered from mako poisoning. If he got further questions about it, he would answer to the best of his ability.

Once he returned the form, he was told to sit down and wait. Fortunately, the wait wasn’t long as he was called into one of the exam rooms. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been in one or even examined by a doctor. That probably didn’t help anything.

The doctor came in, reading over his form with a furrowed brow. She looked up and smiled with a nod. “Good morning, Mr. Strife. I’m Dr. Holm, what seems to be the problem today?”

Cloud described his symptoms, watching as the doctor looked at him in confusion. “What?” he asked, arching a brow.

“When was the last time you had a heat cycle?”

“I don’t remember,” he admitted. “The mako in my system likely sterilized me, so it can’t be anything to do with that.”

Dr. Holm paused, peering down at his file again with a grim expression. “I see. You’re right that mako has been blamed for altering Omega’s reproductive systems.” She sighed, tapping her forehead with her pen. “However, those symptoms…”

Setting down the file, Dr. Holm pulled out a vial. “I’m going to have to do a blood draw to run some tests. I hope you’re not squeamish about needles.”

“Not at all,” he said, holding out his arm. As long as it didn’t smell like coffee, he would be able to keep his meagre breakfast down.

When the vial was full, Dr. Holm reached into a drawer again and pulled out a small bottle. “And a urine sample, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Right. He sighed softly, taking the bottle and heading to the bathroom that was off to one side of the room. Definitely not one of the most pleasant samples to provide, but he did it and then set it on the counter, making a motion to leave.

“If you could take a seat on the bed again, I have some quick tests I can run that will only take a few minutes. I’ll be right back,” the doctor said, picking up both the bottle and vial.

Left alone in the room, Cloud wondered what possible tests could be done so quickly. He supposed it was all to rule out certain things while the rest would need something more in-depth. The clinic was the best spot in the city for the time being until the full hospital could be finished. He didn’t doubt that they had enough to diagnose whatever was wrong with him.

The door opened and Dr. Holm came in, pressing her lips together. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out three sticks. “I suppose our hypothesis was wrong.”

Cloud narrowed his eyes, taking the offered sticks. It was only after a second glance that he saw they were clearly pregnancy tests – all three of them positive. “But, that’s impossible. I haven’t gone through a heat cycle in years.”

“Three positive tests and your symptoms make it very clear, Mr. Strife. You’re definitely pregnant.”

Suddenly, he wasn’t sure how to feel any longer. He’d spent so much time convincing himself that he was incapable of it that being presented with the truth felt like a cruel joke. Cloud had been right that he was broken, just in the wrong way. He would never present when he was ready for breeding, but he _was_ capable of it. He could give Zack the family he craved without anyone else.

“I would suggest you go to our pharmacy and pick up some pre-natal vitamins to try and boost your system. Those will do until I can get your blood results back,” Dr. Holm said, cutting through Cloud’s inner thoughts. “And take it easy. This is unknown territory for all involved so I’m putting you down as a high-risk pregnancy. I’ll refer you to a specialist who can help you.”

He could barely focus, nodding mutely as he kept staring at the tests in his hand. Why wasn’t he jumping for joy that he was proven wrong? He felt numb, like he was going to wake up in his bed the instant he looked away from what he was holding.

“Mr. Strife?”

Instinctively, he looked up as he was spoken to. Nothing melted away and he didn’t wake up. Cloud shook his head slightly. “I-I’m sorry, did you say something?”

“Congratulations,” she said, smiling softly. “I know, it’s a bit early for that, but this is a big deal. The specialist will be in contact within the next week so please prepare your Alpha for the visit. I know how they can be at times. They’ll have to physically examine you. Keep those tests, by the way. They might help you break the news.”

They said their farewells and Cloud slowly made his way out of the room. He went to the pharmacy like was suggested, finding the bottle of vitamins he was recommended. Through it all, he could think of how impossible the situation was. He couldn’t possibly have the one thing he wanted to give to Zack.

It was lunch hour by the time he managed to make his way to the security building. He ignored the questioning looks as he went to search for Zack, finding him in the break room. The Alpha leapt to his feet when he saw Cloud, gently nudging him to their shared office.

“Well, what’d they say?” Zack asked as soon as the door was closed.

Cloud said nothing, reaching into his pocket to pull out the three tests he’d been given. He still felt so numb from it all which bothered him. He should be happy, but he wasn’t even able to process the information.

Zack didn’t suffer from the same lack of feeling as he picked one of the tests up. He looked at it in confusion until he figured out what he was looking at. The Alpha glanced to Cloud; his eyes wide in shock. A grin crossed his face and he let out a whoop that made Cloud jump.

The Omega was pulled into an embrace and it was only then that Cloud snapped out of his stunned silence. With the excitement and happiness from Zack coming through their bond, he finally accepted that it was real.

He returned the hug and would have easily fallen to the ground if Zack wasn’t holding onto him. The shock was starting to wear off and he cast another glance at the tests out of the corner of his eye.

It was real.

Zack held to Cloud as he pulled out of the embrace, looking at him in confusion. “Cloud? You all right?”

He licked his lips and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I think so, just in shock. This wasn’t in the cards, I thought we’d have to adopt or get a surrogate.” Cloud looked up at Zack who was still smiling widely. How could he possibly be negative about this? “I can’t believe it.”

“You’d better start believing it. I won’t have you forgetting,” Zack said, putting a hand on Cloud’s cheek before leaning in for a quick kiss. “You and I will both have to get used to sharing our space with someone else.”

Slowly, Cloud nodded as he tried to pull himself out of his stupor. “We do have to be careful. I’m listed as a ‘high-risk pregnancy’ because of my history. It’s so early, but I want it to be real.” He set a hand on his stomach, not feeling any different despite knowing something was inside him. “I _need_ this to be real.”

Humming gently, Zack set his hands on Cloud’s shoulders. “It _is_ real, Cloud. You are giving me a baby and I’m going to make sure everything works out.”

Cloud smiled lightly, feeling more of the fog lifting from his mind. “You can’t promise that, Zack. You know that anything could happen.” He reached up to set a hand atop one of Zack’s arms. “Which is why a specialist will be coming for a visit.”

He felt the Alpha bristle lightly at the suggestion he couldn’t make things run perfectly smooth without help. Cloud chuckled, tilting his head. “Zack, we need someone who can tell us if we need to keep our hopes grounded. I don’t want to take the risk.”

The words seemed to placate Zack who simply snorted. “I know that, I still don’t have to like it.” He noticed the bottle that had also ended up on the desk nearby, pointing at it. “What’re those?”

“Vitamins. The doctor suggested them, though I don’t think they’re going to stop my symptoms. That’s going to take time,” Cloud explained with a gentle sigh. “Which means I’m going to be hell to live with for a few weeks. I don’t know how far along I am.”

“I’m already exhausted of you worrying so much,” Zack griped. “Just enjoy it for a while and don’t think the worst. I’m still here, too.”

It wasn’t that he’d forgotten that Zack was a part of this, he’d gotten too deep into what he wanted. Zack wanted this baby just as much as Cloud did. He knew that Zack would bend over backwards to ensure his Omega was cared for. Cloud had to count his lucky stars that he had someone supportive, who bonded with him even before knowing Cloud wasn’t infertile.

He took in a breath and nodded, trying to put himself back into a good mindset. “I know, you’re right.” Cloud leaned against the desk with a heavy breath, gathering up the tests and the vitamins. “Mind covering for me today? I could really use a long, long nap.”

“Of course! Make sure you eat something for lunch and I’ll bring home dinner, okay?” Zack was back to being excited, though he stopped in his tracks, giving Cloud a serious look. “When do we tell everyone?”

“Not right now. Let’s wait until we can’t anymore.” He patted his stomach gently. “That will make it more real for all of us.”

Zack practically deflated like a balloon. “Yeah, you’re right, but I’m going to have a hard time keeping this to myself.”

“Try for me,” Cloud said, leaning in for a kiss. “Please?”

Arms swept Cloud off his feet and his lips were covered by Zack’s, making him hum happily. _This_ was what he’d needed to pull him out of his funk. Zack’s affection always managed to make him relax, even if it tended to lead to more exhaustive activities.

Setting a hand on Zack’s chest, Cloud pulled out of the kiss. “Thank you. I’ll see you tonight, and I promise I’ll eat something for lunch.” He thought for a moment. “Jus t make sure there’s no coffee. I miss it, but I won’t be able to keep anything down if it’s around.”

“You got it,” Zack murmured against Cloud’s lips, going in for another brief kiss. “I wish I could just do you on this damn desk right now.”

“Zack!” Cloud felt his cheeks heat from the suggestion, eyes furtively glancing to the door as some of the security staff passed by. All they had to do was look over – which some of them probably already had. “Tonight, okay? I really need some sleep right now before I pass out.”

The Alpha very gently put Cloud down, chuckling softly. “All right, I’ll see you tonight, with dinner that will definitely not have anything coffee involved.”

“My hero.” Cloud straightened his clothes, unable to resist stealing another kiss from Zack.

Smirking, Zack returned the favour then gently patted Cloud’s ass. “Get outta here before I decide to do it anyway.”


	7. Wet Blanket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short chapter, but necessary at the moment. You'll all have to get used to the whims of my writing muse which took on a life of its own starting from here on out. I never stated that this was a perfect work, or even a good one, but I hope someone takes enjoyment from it.
> 
> Over one hundred kudos! Thank you all for your continued love and support. I really hope I don't disappoint down the road.

Cloud was acutely aware of Zack’s presence behind him. He’d asked for a bit of space to let the specialist, Doctor Percy Tiller, do his work. As Dr. Holm had said, the specialist had to poke and prod to get a feel for what he was dealing with.

The difficult task of trying to explain his medical history had fallen to both Zack and himself. Cloud knew his early life while Zack knew more about what had happened during their imprisonment. There were still gaps and they had to explain some things which Dr. Tiller had dutifully written down on a dedicated notepad. By the time that was done, the doctor was chewing on the end of his pen nervously.

“I’m not going to lie, that was quite a tale.” Dr. Tiller, set his pen into a pocket, eyes reading over Cloud’s history again. “Not too farfetched considering Hojo was involved. This puts a large question mark into what you’re going to experience.”

“How so?” Zack asked, leaning forward slightly.

Dr. Tiller didn’t flinch or cower, probably from years of dealing with Alphas. “Jenova cells are unpredictable at best, but, if you’re right and Cloud has S-Cells, your child will as well. It’s unlikely that we’ll see too many complications, but the addition of mako confuses that.”

“So, will we have a chance to find out if the baby is viable?” Cloud had spent time reading about some research into the effects of mako on reproductive systems. There were plenty of stillbirths that worried him.

“I’m not sure how far along you are and it’d be foolish to think that the symptoms signalled the start of the pregnancy. I would like to try in about two weeks to see if we can get a heartbeat on a doppler,” the doctor replied, pulling out a planner. “It’s not a guarantee, and I may have to use two different dopplers, one more invasive than the other.”

Cloud instantly felt the protectiveness in Zack and shook his head. “Down, boy,” he muttered. Turning his attention back to the doctor, he nodded. “Whatever you feel is best. I’d like to know before it gets too far along.”

Preferably before he began to show and became attached to the idea of holding a baby in his arms. It was bad enough he even had the hope in him now to begin with. He’d gone from knowing everything to knowing absolutely nothing about his body and what it was doing. He still had mood swings and was unable to even stomach the thought of smelling coffee again.

“Keep in mind that an early heartbeat doesn’t always mean viability. It helps, but there’s a long road ahead of us.” The doctor pulled out his pen again, flipping through his planner. “I’d like to see you at least once a week for now. They’ll be more often as we get closer to the birth.”

“Any suggestions in the meantime?” Cloud asked, tilting his head.

Dr. Tiller nodded a moment as he started writing out two cards which he handed over to Cloud. “Keep taking those vitamins. I’ll check your blood levels weekly starting next week. I also hate to say it but take it easy,” he sighed. “I know you’re both head of security, but Cloud can’t be running around and chasing people any longer.”

Cloud made a face of irritation, folding his arms across his chest. “I’m pregnant, I’m not an invalid. I haven’t had any pain and I don’t want to just sit around the house.”

The doctor laughed in response, holding up his hands. “I get it, but I give that advice to all of my high-risk patients. We are in unknown territory right now and we should tread lightly. At the least, I suggest no physical altercations, training or otherwise.”

It was Zack who nodded to that, making Cloud look up at Zack from where he was sitting. Zack shrugged apologetically, putting a hand on Cloud’s shoulder. “It’s fair, Cloud. Who knows what a punch to your gut would result in?”

“Not like I don’t already – “

Clearing his throat, Dr. Tiller began to gather his things, a small smirk on his face. “That’s not quite the punch I’m referring to. Sex is fine and actually healthy at this point, so long as you’re up for it. It’s normal for your libido to take a small vacation sometimes.” The doctor zipped up his bag and hefted it as he stood up. “The second trimester tends to make up for that.”

It was reassuring to know that was still on the table, even if his job was going to be curtailed as time went on. There were sacrifices he knew had to be made for Omegas no matter how much pride they had, and Cloud had already stated how important this was to him. He couldn’t jeopardize the life of their baby.

“Uh, thanks, doc.” Cloud said, getting up to shake Dr. Tiller’s hand. “I’ll see you next week and I swear I’ll do what I can to limit what I do at work.”

“Thank you, both of you.” As the doctor went to leave, he paused and turned to Cloud and Zack. “I feel I should mention that what you told me won’t be shared with anyone. There are still some unsavoury types who remained in Kalm who would gladly jump on the opportunity to become the next Hojo.”

Cloud felt his blood run cold at the very suggestion and both of them thanked the doctor as he left. The idea now stuck in his mind and Cloud went back to the couch, sitting on it heavily. He could feel the apprehension echoed in Zack who sat beside Cloud with a sigh.

“We should have known there’d be ex-Shinra scientists here. They won’t hesitate to pick up where Hojo left off,” Zack said, tilting his head back to lean into the couch cushions.

Making a noise of agreement, Cloud looked over to Zack. “It was a risk no matter what, and the doctor needed to know everything. We have to trust that he’ll keep his word for now. The problem will be when I’m obviously carrying a baby and someone recognizes one of us from any of Shinra’s old documents.”

They’d made a life in Kalm and hadn’t thought twice about being recognized by some of the Midgar refugees. It seemed there were threats everywhere to their potential baby. Cloud already felt the protective instincts inside of him, wanting to keep his child safe. He would have to watch his step and his back from now on.

Zack looked over at Cloud. “There’s always the choice of moving somewhere else.”

“With the new airship routes, they could be everywhere by now. It sounds paranoid, but we can’t be too careful right now. I think we’re better off staying here where our friends are.”

Again, Cloud admired how the Alpha took in the information first before reacting. While he could definitely become irrational when it came to Cloud’s safety, he would still generally try to think things over before making a decision. Nothing about the situation was clear cut or obvious.

Cloud shifted to lay in Zack’s lap, looking up at him and seeing his anxiety reflected in the Alpha’s eyes. It felt like they were always going to be in a constant state of running from the ripples of the past. They were cornered with nowhere to run.

“The price of freedom is steep,” Zack muttered. He moved a hand to rest it on Cloud’s stomach, fingers tracing over the area. “If we’re lucky then we can root out the scientists before they become a problem. We have a few months, right?”

“When was the last time we were lucky?” Cloud snorted.

Zack turned his head completely and then patted Cloud’s stomach. “So, this isn’t considered being lucky to you?”

“Not yet. It could still be a dream, Zack, we both have to accept that.” The admission hurt as much as the old “truth” of his being sterile. He would rather be the latter than to continuously have phantom children that he never birthed.

“It almost feels like we weren’t meant to get out sometimes. We don’t get to have a normal life or enjoy what other people do,” Cloud said, his voice low. “It’s exhausting having to run or fight all the time without any time to rest. The home with a few kids is a quaint dream, but I don’t think we’ll ever have that.”

There was no positive spin to be put on what Cloud said. When Zack struggled to find anything positive, it was safe to say that there were no silver linings to the dark clouds. For now, the two could only count on whatever lay ahead finding some way to work themselves out. Cloud had a feeling that there would be a lot of heartache before anything settled.


	8. Glimmer of Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for another shortish chapter of mostly fretting by the parents. As I said, it's the whims of my mind and muse so...hooray?
> 
> Thank you all again for all your support! 💕

Cloud shifted slightly as he lay on the bed, his stomach exposed as Dr. Tiller dug out a piece of equipment from his bag. He knew that Zack was incredibly unhappy by the whole situation, but Cloud had implored him to keep his Alpha instincts in check. Whether he liked it or not, they needed the doctor for the foreseeable future.

“With luck, we’ll hear a heartbeat with this. I’m even less enthusiastic than you are for the alternative.” Dr. Tiller fiddled with a few knobs and held a sort of wand up. “If I don’t hear anything with the standard doppler, I’ll have to switch to the vaginal one.”

Zack started then grunted, folding his arms across his chest. “There’s only one thing I think he should ever have up there.”

“Zack.” Cloud lightly swatted his Alpha’s side. “We talked about this.”

Seemingly accustomed to the antics of Alphas and Omegas, the doctor continued to work with the monitor. He set it on Cloud’s stomach, putting on a headset as he moved the wand around. It was with practised ease that he finally settled on one spot. His emerald eyes were pleasantly surprised as he unplugged the headset and turned up the speaker.

Any irritation was lost as a distinctive, quick pulsing noise was heard. It was unmistakable, even for their untrained ears. Cloud felt each beat drive the fact home that there was definitely a life inside of him.

“That’s a nice, strong heartbeat. If I had to hazard a guess, you’re somewhere at six- or seven-weeks in.” He removed the wand and shut off the monitor, much to Cloud’s dismay. “That is a very good thing and suggests the baby is doing better than the parent. Your blood results from last week were enlightening.”

Cloud moved to sit up, pulling his shirt down with a grimace. “Not in a good way, I take it.”

Dr. Tiller shook his head, reaching into his bag once more for a small satchel. “Keep taking those vitamins, but I’ve got some extra supplements here. We’ll see if that helps in a week or so. It should stop your fatigue from being so severe.”

It was true that Cloud still felt drained each morning. He took the offered bottles, turning them over in his hands. “Hearing that made this a lot more real for me.”

“It does for most parents. I’ve dealt with a lot of pregnancies from those who worked in the old mako reactors. Some of them were better off than others.” Dr. Tiller pulled out his notepad, writing down notes as he spoke. “That we have a heartbeat that strong is a good sign.”

Zack sat down on the bed beside Cloud, more relaxed than he’d been earlier. “What about something like an ultrasound?”

The doctor looked up and blinked before he nodded. “That will happen later. Right now, we would only get confirmation of what we already know,” he replied, going back to his notes. “Further development will let us know of any deformities we’ll have to keep an eye on. Even if mako was hypothesised to cause sterilization, it has been proven to cause other problems.”

Mulling that over, Cloud furrowed his brow. “Then there’s the addition of Jenova’s cells.”

“That might offset whatever the mako might do,” Zack said. “Hojo was always determined to get perfection from his experiments. I’m betting he tried to get these results during the years he held us captive.”

Cloud wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It wasn’t even a question of if Hojo tried to breed him, only when and how many times. Being in the haze of mako poisoning, Cloud didn’t remember anything until he and Zack had reached the edge of Midgar. Even then, it took him days before he managed to pull his mind free of the confusion enough to function.

“I wanted to talk to you about that.” Dr. Tiller put his notepad away and leaned forward slightly, fixing them both with his gaze. “I’ve already promised that I won’t tell anyone about you, but we could use someone who may have access to Professor Hojo’s archives.”

“Won’t that put us in the spotlight if you ask around?” Cloud asked apprehensively.

Dr. Tiller frowned and straightened himself in his seat. “It would if I wasn’t sure of our allies. Not all who worked for Hojo agreed with his methods. It’s a matter of finding one who has more morality than the professor.”

Zack shook his head, once again falling into being defensive. “All it takes is one of them catching wind that one of Hojo’s former test subjects is here for things to go south. I’m not worried for myself; I wasn’t considered a successful anything, but Cloud is another story.”

“Did you have any solid leads on someone who’s trustworthy? I’d rather not take a shot in the dark at this point.” Not after they’d just confirmed that Cloud truly was capable of breeding at the moment. Cloud didn’t think he’d be able to stand knowing he’d had a child that was taken away from him for experimentation. “I’m sure you understand why.”

Nodding once, the doctor began putting away the monitor. “There’s someone who has been in my sights. She worked in the labs under Hojo, though her own personal records show she never really ascended the ranks due to unknown reasons.”

“And those ‘unknown reasons’ generally meant they didn’t agree with him. Only the most eager scientists managed to get further in the science department,” Zack grunted.

Not having much in the way of knowledge about it, Cloud could only agree with Zack on that. “We have to be positive about this. It’s bad enough knowing that there are Hojo’s lackeys in the city without having one that gets closer to us before revealing their true intentions.”

“Trust me when I say that I won’t ask anyone unless I’m confident and I have your blessing. We’re still on that long road, but I’d rather have the option of knowing what we’re in for,” Dr. Tiller said, frowning lightly. “If you’re right that Hojo tried to impregnate Cloud before and failed, we need to know _how_ he failed. If it took then the pregnancy terminated, that’s valuable information.”

Cloud put a protective hand on his stomach, wondering if that was the case. How many times had he miscarried prior to this and not known it? Was that the reason he longed to fulfill his duty as an Omega so badly? The implications sent his mind into a spiral, renewing his hatred of what Hojo had done to him.

“It’s not entirely up to me, even if I’m the Alpha,” Zack conceded. “Cloud’s right. Make sure of what you’ve got before we let anyone in on what’s going on. We haven’t even told our friends about this.”

“Not until we’re sure,” Cloud agreed. “It’s all up in the air right now.”

The doctor nodded in agreement before pulling out his planner to pen in another appointment. “You know how to reach me if something goes wrong. Even with the details you’ve given me, I won’t be able to help very much with stopping the process, but I’d rather know.”

Just like the weeks prior, Cloud felt his anxiety spike. The likelihood that he wouldn’t be able to carry his baby to term seemed fairly high. He wanted to be positive after hearing that heartbeat, but there were too many questions and not enough answers available to them.

“Here,” Dr. Tiller said, holding out a card for Cloud to take. “Your next two appointments. I’ll do a blood draw again next week and we’ll talk about your diet.” He sighed gently, picking up his bag and getting to his feet. “We need to proceed as if this will be a successful pregnancy and I’m going to do what I can to ensure that’s the case. I’ll also continue to do research into the ex-Shinra scientists that are here and bring some of their files for us to look over.”

This time, Cloud let Zack handle the farewells for the doctor, sitting on the bed as his mind went in circles. Everything was starting to stack against them, just as he’d feared. It was hard not to be negative about the situation when there weren’t many positives beyond knowing the baby was alive. How long it would be that way, none could say.

He felt Zack’s presence beside him before his weight on the bed. Zack flopped on his back with a groan, making Cloud look over curiously. “I’d like to get off of this wild ride.”

Cloud chuckled softly, nodding as he set the appointment card on the beside table. “Me, too. I almost wish I wasn’t pregnant. It was easier when I was a broken Omega.”

“You don’t mean that, not really.”

He hated that the Alpha was right. No matter how uncertain he was at the moment, hearing that heartbeat had been a change in perspective. Right now, he had what he wanted, even if he couldn’t see, feel, or touch it.

Cloud let out a noise of surprise as an arm came up to pull him down to the bed. He looked over at his Alpha who was smiling softly at him. “There’s a lot of shit being piled on top of you, but anything could happen. I don’t think Hojo gave a damn whether you ate right or not.” Zack put up a finger to emphasize his next point. “And you were probably addicted to mako at the time which didn’t help.”

Humming thoughtfully, Cloud tried to hang onto that. While he doubted Hojo would be that sloppy, it was true that he had no memory of what had happened to him while he was held captive. Initially, Cloud was deemed a failure because the Jenova cells didn’t adhere properly, but that was a lie. All he’d needed was time.

“There’s too many questions and not enough answers. I agree with Dr. Tiller that we need to find someone who has some knowledge of Hojo’s experiments.” He rolled to his side, trying desperately to not fall into the hole his mind wanted to go to. “I just wish we had something concrete to stand on.”

Zack reached down to put a hand on Cloud’s stomach. “We do. We heard that heartbeat and that means something. Let’s hold onto that for now.”


	9. Trusting in Someone Again

“It’s starting to be obvious,” Cloud muttered as he ran a hand over his gently swelling stomach.

He wasn’t exactly complaining about this development, even if it made it harder to get into his clothes. He was down to the last notch on his belt and knew he’d soon have to start looking for new clothes to wear. Once he did, he knew that he’d have to be honest with everyone else about his condition. They were already starting to suspect it because of his altered behaviours.

“Mm, it sure is.” Zack came up behind his Omega, putting both hands over Cloud’s belly. “You look good all the time, but there’s something sexy about you right now.”

Cloud smirked, looking over his shoulder. “That’s basic Alpha instincts talking right now. Alphas can’t resist their obviously fertile Omegas,” he quipped. “Not complaining, by the way.”

Zack snorted in amusement. “Sometimes I’m just an ordinary Alpha that gets horny for their Omega.” He pressed kisses up Cloud’s neck, making his intentions clear. “Think we’ve got time?”

“Not a chance,” Cloud sighed. “Come on, we can’t keep them waiting. Barret’s been bothering us for a week now and he’s like a dog that never stops gnawing a bone when he wants something.”

Since becoming the head of security for Kalm, Cloud knew they would eventually be called in for a progress report. He was glad that they at least had some positive news on that front. The ex-Shinra infantrymen had taken to their new responsibilities quickly, many of them happier to be working again. Only a few had been trouble, needing reminders that Kalm’s security wasn’t about power.

Cloud sucked in a breath as he adjusted his pants once more, muttering a curse as he exhaled. “That’s it, let me borrow one of your belts.”

Laughing, Zack finally moved from behind Cloud to search through the dresser. He pulled one out and handed it to the Omega, still grinning. “Here. This should do for a week or so.”

“Smartass,” Cloud grumbled as he took the offered belt. Removing his own, he found more success while using Zack’s, though he reluctantly had to admit it wouldn’t last too long. He was already at the second notch.

With that done, the two made their way to Barret’s home. It was an unorthodox way of meeting, but Barret’s way of taking charge had made unorthodox situations. Barret would report back to the rest of Kalm’s council about their progress and they’d call it good. It was, at least, one less thing to stress over.

His pregnancy had been going well, all things considered. At the least, much of his fatigue and other early symptoms had abated. His body sometimes still made it known that things were different, now more than ever since he started showing. His stomach had settled, but now he suffered from wanting different foods he normally didn’t want to touch. Embarrassing and incredibly hard to hide from those around him.

Cloud knocked on Barret’s door, walking in when it was opened. “Tifa?” he asked, surprised to see her. The second surprise was the scent of food which made him realize that he was getting rather hungry.

“We decided it would be better to turn the meeting into a dinner. Barret invited me to cook, but he’s going to have to get used to me being unavailable,” she said, giving Cloud a knowing wink. She clearly had made a move on the Alpha she’d been eyeing.

Barret grunted, sitting down at the table. “Don’t remind me. All y’all hooking up these days.”

“If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you were jealous,” Zack chuckled, taking a seat as well.

“Man, you do know better. Now give me that damn report, how are those rookies holding up?”

The talk turned strictly to business while the group ate. With the security teams working out, the less-than-savoury people who had fled Wall Market were being kept in check – for the most part. It seemed that they weren’t going to be quelled so easily and had taken to finding a new place to call their own. Eventually, Kalm would likely have its own entertainment district whether it liked it or not.

Barret was at least impressed by their teamwork and ability to keep the order. It seemed the council had also taken notice of the order that was being kept, which had improved the opinion of the city about having troops around. By keeping it less military-like and more casual, it hadn’t unnerved everyone by reminding them of Shinra’s iron fist.

As with all things, they lost track of time, turning from talk of work to life. Tifa admitted she’d started courting with a prospective, unattached Alpha. Cloud was happy for her, hoping she could find the same happiness he’d found with Zack. Courting could take a small eternity, but Alpha and Omega pairings ran hotter than most.

Cloud grunted as he stretched in his seat, jumping as he heard the shocked gasp come from Tifa. Confused, he looked at her. “What?”

“You’ve got a stomach bump!” she said incredulously.

“Ah, shit,” Cloud muttered, noticing that a stretch from this angle had likely highlighted that. He caught Zack shrugging at him and knew that there was no point in denying it. “Yeah.”

“The hell? I thought you said you couldn’t have kids,” Barret said, looking more concerned than surprised.

Tifa practically bounced in her chair, her eyes lighting up. “You should have told us! That’s not fair keeping such good news to yourselves.” Zack and Cloud looked at one another, making the smile fall from Tifa’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“it’s not all good news,” Zack replied, leaning back in his chair.

Cloud reluctantly told them everything, from when he’d found out to where they stood now. He knew they would, at least, understand what was being implied and the reason why they’d kept it secret. It was almost cathartic to finally admit to it, even if Tifa looked like every last dream she had was crushed. Barret stayed silent, shaking his head once Cloud was done.

“Even worse is that my specialist told us that some scientists that worked for Hojo are in Kalm. Not all of them are friendly and I’d bet some of them had serious ambitions to be the next lead scientist in the department.” Cloud put a hand on his stomach and slumped in his seat. “But one of them might be able to tell us about what happened when Hojo experimented on me.”

Finally, Barret grunted and lightly banged the table with a fist. “Damn Shinra, always going to be messing with our lives, ain’t they?”

“Isn’t there some way we could find those scientists and get them to talk?” Tifa asked, looking between Zack and Cloud. “You deserve to have that baby.”

Zack shook his head with a soft sigh. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. All it takes is one of them catching wind of a former experiment of Hojo’s for them to start digging. Cloud’s file would have ‘Jenova’ printed all over it.”

“And nothing is a bigger red flag than that to someone looking to pick up where Hojo left off. Not everyone let go of the idea of the Promised Land or creating perfect soldiers. My file might mark me as a failure, but now I’ve proven otherwise.”

A heavy silence fell over them, though Cloud knew he and Zack had already exhausted these discussions. Barret and Tifa were only allowing everything to sink in, just like they’d done for weeks. Even though Cloud was clearly showing, he had no idea when the hammer would fall on his dream to crush it once and for all.

“Shit,” Barret muttered, running his hand down his face. “Too many ex-Shinra grunts out there, don’t know who to trust.”

Tifa perked up slightly, looking at everyone gathered. “What if you find someone in the security staff? You’ve both worked with them for months now, there has to be someone who you can trust.”

Zack looked to Cloud, tilting his head and looking apologetic. “I’ve thought of that, too. We’re both paranoid right now and I don’t think either of us could figure out who’s on our side or not.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Cloud nodded in agreement. “Shinra left a lot of scars on all of us. Not everyone who worked for them was bad, but sometimes all it takes is an opportunity to bring out the worst in people,” he said. “If we tip our hand to the wrong person, Zack and I would be on the run and we’d likely lose everything anyway.”

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” Barret leaned back in his chair, tapping a finger on the table. “Then if you don’t want to do it, let us.”

Once again, Zack and Cloud looked at each other. “But won’t that still raise suspicion?” Zack asked.

Tifa had clearly picked up on what Barret was thinking and she shook her head. “Not if we ask the right questions. Someone on the force _has_ to be trustworthy enough and know enough about the scientists to tell us who could help us.”

When Cloud and Zack hesitated, Barret made a soft noise. “If anyone’s earned a quiet life, it’s you two. Let us lend a hand. From what you’re saying, time’s not on our side.” He shrugged, shaking his head. “Think I’d rather not see you lose that kid of yours. When I thought I’d lost Marlene, it hurt like hell.”

“Just let us try. They won’t suspect us asking questions,” Tifa implored, leaning forward on the table. “You’re not alone anymore and there’s no way we’d let you be experimented on again.”

Zack took in a breath and let it out before he nodded. Cloud began to protest, but a sharp look from the Alpha silenced him in a way that he’d never experienced before. “Sorry to pull rank, Cloud, but they’re right. I’m tired of feeling powerless to do anything.” He folded his arms over his chest, looking to Tifa and Barret. “I can let you access the files if it’ll help.”

Cloud shot Zack a look before growling softly to himself. _All_ of them were right and he knew it, but the paranoid side of his mind was telling him it was still too dangerous. One wrong move and he’d be back in a lab, but likely completely aware of what was going on this time. He’d be lucky to get out and luckier still if it was with his baby.

Then there was that other part of him that was tired of waiting for things to go wrong. He’d always taken action instead of standing still since recovering from Hojo’s experiments. His instincts to fiercely protect his offspring conflicted with his instinct for safety and Barret’s plan removed him from that equation. While he was loath to admit someone else needed to protect him, he knew deep down that the bruise to his pride would heal.

“Fine, just try to keep things subtle. The force is used to you moving around and asking things, Barret, but you’re not known in the building, Tifa,” Cloud finally said. “They’ll get suspicious if someone not part of the public government starts asking the wrong questions. How will you get around that?”

“I’ll think of a way. We _have_ to try something, Cloud. Let Barret and me work out the details while you two try to relax for once.” Tifa smiled sadly. “You’ve probably both been worrying yourselves sick over it.”

Cloud couldn’t help himself and he laughed softly. “I sure didn’t need all of that on top of the way this baby turned my body upside down, I’ll admit that. Promise me you’ll be careful. It’s bad enough I’ll already worry more that you two are putting yourselves in danger.”

“Worry about yourself, Cloud,” Barret grumped. “Let us take the load for once. Don’t act all suspicious and give them a reason to start thinking there’s more to it. You’ll be the ones blowing our cover if you don’t sit back and let us handle it.”

Zack put a hand on Cloud’s shoulder, his look much softer than before. “They’re right. I hate pulling the Alpha card on you, but you’ve got a stubborn streak that never lets you ask for or accept help.” He smiled lightly. “Might love that, but you need to learn to let it go once in a while. Our hands are tied and I don’t want to wait for us to lose your dream.”

Though, it was Zack’s dream, too. Cloud knew it was a dream of both of theirs and they were willingly let it slip through their fingers by doing nothing.

He closed his eyes then opened them, nodding once. “You’re right, I know you’re right.” He let out a breath, feeling like he was letting go of a lifetime of anxiety. “Thank you, both of you.”

“Thank us after we get the info you need. We start tomorrow, so you two get your asses home and get some sleep,” Barret said, nodding to the door.

Cloud knew he’d sleep well tonight. He was even more exhausted than he’d been at the start of the whole situation.


	10. Chasing Leads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Likely the textbook definition of deus ex machina, but ask me if I care. Subject to the way the story evolved in my mind, I took this path despite having reservations about it. Hope it's not too jarring.
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and support! Keeps me going - and writing! There's other stories to be had and I will share them once I've completed at least one. Currently playing through FF7 for ideas for other smaller stories as well, so stay tuned!

“There are five that say they used to work in the science department on security detail,” Tifa said, spreading out the files on Cloud’s desk.

Zack looked at them and picked up three, discarding them on his own desk. “And of those, only two didn’t need to be constantly reprimanded that they’re not part of Shinra any longer.” He frowned as he looked at the files, likely thinking how close they were to their enemies. “I wouldn’t trust them not to go to the fringes, if they’re not already.”

“Yeah, those rumours about a group trying to revive Shinra don’t sit right with me,” Barret muttered.

“The further we look into this, the deeper the hole goes.” Cloud leaned forward, flipping through the two files left. “These two were good men, I remember them from the training sessions. They seem young, so I’m not sure how much they’ll know.”

“Probably why they ain’t loyal to Shinra. Lots of those grunts signed up because they needed the money and security.” Barret said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Do you think they’ll roll if we put the pressure on them?”

Tifa shook her head. “Let’s try to not put too much pressure on them. If we squeeze too hard, they might not be as cooperative as we want them to be.”

Nodding, Cloud looked up to Barret from where he was sitting. “Let’s not give them a reason to think Shinra is the better option, new or otherwise. This is already a risk I don’t like taking, please don’t give me more of a reason to lose sleep at night.”

“So, how are we going to do this? Should I call them in and let you interrogate them?” Zack asked, tilting his head. “Cloud and I are his superiors; we won’t be involved in this questioning.”

“Tifa, you’re playing as my assistant today. Let’s see if we can get one of these nuts to crack,” Barret said, moving to sit on Zack’s desk.

Zack left, bringing in Nash Bondar who looked around the office nervously before standing before the gathered group. “Barret and his assistant will be asking a couple of questions. Just answer to the best of your ability,” Zack said, moving to sit at his own desk.

Picking up Nash’s file, Barret leafed through it. It was an act, and a good one at that, considering he’d gone from back to front with so many files for the past few days. “Says here you used to work at Shinra’s science department as security detail.”

“Sure did. Wasn’t the nicest place to be, but it was a job.” Nash shrugged.

“How well did you get to know the scientists?” Tifa asked.

Nash thought for a moment, folding his arms across his chest. “Some better than others. I mean, Hojo thought we were a pain in the ass which meant all his sycophants did, too.” He laughed softly. “Could really tell who Hojo favoured, even as a rookie.”

Tifa wrote these things down, pondering before she asked her next question. “Were there any that stood out to you? In any way possible, I mean.”

“There was one,” he said, dropping his arms to his sides again. “I’m guessing she was too smart for Hojo to ignore. He promoted her even though she wasn’t really into his experiments.”

“Any idea where she is now?” Barret asked.

Nash shook his head, looking downcast. It was obvious that they’d more than enjoyed each other’s company, probably even been lovers at some point. “During everything that happened with Meteor and Midgar, I wasn’t able to return to the science department to find her. I’d hoped she’d be here, but finding just one person in a sea of refugees is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

As touching as the story was, Cloud felt a bit of frustration at how the woman sounded like a perfect person to ask if they could only find her. He cast a glance to Zack who had silently tried to soothe Cloud’s frustration through their bond. Zack was getting good at trying to tame his Omega’s wild emotions, which Cloud was sure he’d feel appreciative of later.

“Does this have to do with the rumours of a Shinra uprising?”

Barret didn’t skip a beat, nodding in assent, much to Cloud’s surprise. “It does. You know anything about that?”

“Probably not more than you do, but a few of us have wanted to try and sniff them out,” Nash admitted with a sheepish grin. “If you ask me, you’re not going to find her with that group. If she survived what happened in Midgar, she’d likely try to be a normal doctor.”

Cloud hummed, the first noise he’d made since Nash’s arrival which caused the other man to jump. “We could use information on the ones trying to bring Shinra back. If you could give us a list of the personnel interested, we’ll work out the details.”

It wasn’t a total waste of time, he supposed. Having a task force that could keep their enemies in check would be valuable. He had no doubt that Nash had a larger group of people that were capable of doing what was needed. Shinra infantrymen were nothing if not easily adaptable when they were given new tasks.

“Is there anything else I can help with?”

Tifa nodded, making them all look over. “I know you have no idea where she is, but maybe you could tell us the name of that scientist you mentioned.”

Nash nodded, coming forward to write the name on Tifa’s notes. “Cara Holm. If you find her, maybe you could tell her Nash was looking for her? I’d love to see her again.”

Cloud barely noticed when Nash left, the name ringing clearly in his ears. It took a moment before he realized that Barret, Zack, and Tifa were looking at him with concern. He shook his head to try to clear it. “I know where she is,” he whispered.

“What?!” Barret exclaimed. “How the hell would you know something like that?”

“She was the doctor who told me I was pregnant at the clinic.” How had he gone under her radar? Were they wrong in that these scientists would know them at first glance? Or perhaps Hojo didn’t let anyone into his old archives.

“This is perfect! It’s our chance to see if we were right,” Tifa said, her eyes shining with eagerness.

Cloud pushed himself to his feet, making his way out of the office. “I’ll go see if she’s in.” It felt good to know he was taking some action himself for once. He heard Zack getting up as well and shook his head. “I’ll call you; I don’t want to intimidate her. Besides, someone has to stay here and keep an eye on the team.”

“Keep us updated,” Barret said, nodding to Cloud. Zack was clearly still unhappy about being told to remain, but Barret seemed to be ensuring that happened.

Nodding, Cloud left the security building and made his way to the clinic. It felt too good to be true, but he was still letting his feet take him forward. If this was real, they could get the answers they needed. He would lose nothing if this woman wasn’t the same one Nash knew.

He entered the clinic and went to the desk, getting a surprised look from the receptionist. “Is Dr. Holm in today?”

“Today is her day off, there are other doctors here if you need assistance,” she replied.

Letting out a noise of irritation, Cloud leaned forward on the counter. “Could you tell me where she lives? I have some important questions for her.”

The receptionist narrowed her eyes a moment before the realized that Cloud was wearing the uniform of the head of security. “O-oh, of course! Here, I’ll give you her address. I do hope she’s not in any trouble,” she murmured, writing things down on a slip of paper.

Reassuring the frazzled receptionist that the doctor most definitely wasn’t in trouble, Cloud set off for the address he was given. He felt like he had more energy than he’d had in weeks. The chance that he could get solid information on whether his dream would slip through his fingers or not was good motivation.

He stopped at a small house, reaching up to knock at the door. It opened to Dr. Holm’s surprised face. “Mr. Strife! How are you doing? What can I help you with?”

“I have a few questions, if you don’t mind. You’re not in trouble, I promise.”

Curiously, she let him in and led him to the living room. He was as courteous as he could be, kicking off his dusty boots and leaving them in the foyer. Once he sat down on an armchair, he did his best to calm down. He could be wrong, he had to prepare himself for that.

“I’m sorry for barging in like this, but I have to know: are you Cara Holm who used to work for Shinra’s science department?” he asked as slowly as he could.

Dr. Holm’s eyes widened and she sat down quickly on her couch. “How did you know that?”

“Did you know a Nash Bonder when you worked there?”

Instantly, she leaned forward, her eyes bright. “Do you know him? Is he all right? I’ve been looking for him for so long, I feared the worst!”

They had the right person, but now he had to find out if she had the information he needed. It was going to be some give and take, so he nodded at her. “I do. He works for security now and he mentioned you when we spoke with him today.” Cloud smiled lightly. “He’s just as worried about you.”

Cara breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes glistening as she leaned back in her seat. “Thank goodness,” she murmured, putting a hand on her chest. “Mr. Strife, thank you.”

Now came the hard part.

“That’s not the only reason I’m here. I need to know if you have any of Hojo’s old files, or if you know someone who does,” Cloud said.

Confused once more, Cara looked at Cloud a bit closer. “You didn’t go through the SOLDIER process willingly, did you? You were one of the Professor’s many experiments.”

Getting to her feet, she went to a filing cabinet and opened one drawer up. She pulled out some folders then brought them over, placing them on the coffee table. “The Professor never put names to his experiments. I think he found it easier to dehumanize them before he started working on them. Data and results were the only things he cared about.” Cara sighed softly. “Yours must be in here somewhere.”

He took the unspoken offer, picking up some of the folders. It was a lot to go through and not all of it made sense to him. The locations made it a little easier, many of them in Midgar or the underground lab he’d had. Finally, he found two files that were labelled with Nibelheim. The first clearly belonged to Zack and was short, the other belonged to him.

“This is you?” Cara picked it up, frowning as she did. “I remember this file.”

Cloud felt a sort of release as the doctor began to look through the file. It was relatively thick, containing countless sheets of data and observations. “I spent four years in the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim, but I don’t remember them. It was there that I was injected with mako – “

“And Jenova cells,” she finished. She closed the file and set it off to one side. “I understand now. Mr. Strife, could you please get in contact with your specialist and your Alpha? I feel like there’s much to discuss.”


	11. Finally, Some Good News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Yes, that's a "finally, some good food" reference... Couldn't help it.)
> 
> So, it's easy to tell there's some good stuff in this chapter. They aren't exactly free from everything quite yet.
> 
> Thank you all for your lovely comments, your abundant kudos, all the bookmarks and subscriptions! Keeps my days bright, that's for sure. 
> 
> Incidentally, for those who haven't looked at my profile, you can follow me on Twitter [@KaloriiCreates](https://twitter.com/KaloriiCreates) for when a new chapter goes up and other babbling about any upcoming fics!

Cloud opened the door, letting Dr. Tiller in. “Sorry for calling on short notice. We’ve got a huge lead on getting answers about the baby.”

Dr. Tiller was led to the living room where he nodded to Cara. “I’m surprised to see you here,” he said, giving her a smile as he shook her hand. He took a seat in the armchair beside her, pulling out his notebook.

It took time for Cloud to explain the series of events that had brought them to this point. Both of the doctors flipped through the notes they had, pulling out certain sheets of paper and setting them aside. Zack and Cloud let the two confer amongst each other for a moment before Cara nodded, looking at the parents-to-be.

“I can’t even begin to imagine how much worry you’ve been carrying over this,” she sighed. “From these files, we can tell that you never once regained consciousness once the Professor had you in custody. He barely let you heal from your wounds before injecting the Jenova cells. From there, he realized that you were an Omega and tried to use that to his advantage.”

Deeper into the file, they found Hojo had attempted to breed Cloud several times. Twice after the injection of Jenova cells, five more times when he tried the mako injections. Each time, he would miscarry, though it was much faster without the mako in his system. After the mako injections, each pregnancy terminated farther along. The farthest he got was five months.

Zack and Cloud took in the information grimly, finally getting the answers they sought, though not necessarily the ones they wanted to hear. From the information available, it seemed that Cloud would have at least two more months or so left before they were in new territory.

“These were Cloud’s levels last week,” Dr. Tiller said, holding out one sheet for Cara to take. Mutely, she put the sheet beside another which made Dr. Tiller wince. “I can’t imagine what a carrier, Omega or otherwise, would feel with their body in such a state.”

“What do you mean?” Zack said, finally unable to keep his silence.

Dr. Holm tapped to a few key numbers, none of which meant anything to Cloud. “This alone would have made any doctor think twice about allowing the pregnancy to go forward. The Professor cared less about your body, only wanting to produce another Sephiroth if possible.”

Cloud shuddered at the thought, putting a hand over his stomach. “Does this mean that me being in better health might prevent a miscarriage?”

Nodding, Dr. Tiller practically beamed as he looked at the comparisons. “Perhaps it’s not a guarantee, but you are in better shape than you were in these data shots. It explains why we had a difficult time stabilizing you.”

Cara nodded, looking up at Cloud. “I want to say you have a very high chance of carrying to term.”

The words made both Zack and Cloud sit up in shock. It was like having all of their anxieties wiped away with one sentence. The baby that they’d both wanted to keep alive had a possibility to do so, likely thriving because of their care.

“I have to agree here, though I will admit that I don’t know the effect mako and these Jenova cells will have,” Dr. Tiller said, humming softly to himself. “What do you know about this, Dr. Holm?”

“Honestly, Cara is just fine. I think we’re all past formalities at this point.” She smiled lightly, pulling out yet another sheet. “Initially, those two things were a hindrance. Cloud was given no time for his body to adjust, turning him into a mako addict and giving him mako poisoning in the process. The files abruptly stop when the Professor deemed him a failure, which he most certainly is not. Because his body has not only stabilized, but also found harmony with mako and Jenova cells, he’s in a better position to carry and have a healthy child.”

The doctors spoke amongst themselves, rapidly exchanging notes as though they were both now Cloud’s specialists. He supposed that they were, in a sense. One had more knowledge of pregnancies in general while the other knew what Cloud’s body had gone through. What he wanted to process now was the fact that he would have what he’d wanted since he and Zack had gotten together.

Percy smiled as he put his notepad away, clapping his hands together. “I would ask if we wanted to get a drink, but that would be unwise for Cloud’s condition. Right now, I would remain incredibly optimistic that this pregnancy will proceed with minimal incidents.”

“On the pregnancy side, for certain. I’m sure you’ve all heard of the attempt of rising Shinra from the ashes of the old?” Cara said, pressing her lips together. “We absolutely _must_ keep this a secret. If they hear that there’s any potential to pick up where Hojo left off.”

“That’s why we’ve set up a stealth task force to try and find them,” Zack said. “We know what’s at risk.”

Cara and Percy both discussed their schedules, working out a time when they could both be there for Cloud’s appointments. There was far less gloom hovering over them as the doctors gathered up to leave. Zack was the one who mentioned Nash to Cara, telling her where he lived. Cloud highly doubted he would mind having a surprise visit by her.

Normally, when Dr. Tiller left, Cloud and Zack would simply try to relax from having no real answers. Now? Cloud felt like he’d have to force himself to sit still. He knew that there may still be risks, but how couldn’t he fly high on the first bout of good news he’d gotten in months?

“Cloud, you’re making _my_ head spin,” Zack laughed, pulling his Omega into an embrace. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen or felt you this happy. I could get used to this.”

He returned the embrace, closing his eyes as Cloud took in a deep breath. Eventually, he looked up at Zack curiously. “You can’t tell me you don’t feel relieved with what we heard today.”

Oh yes, he could feel it through their bond that Zack was exited. He was trying not to crow it from the rooftops that he was going to be a father. Perhaps that was why Cloud was practically buzzing, feeding off his Alpha’s emotions. Regardless of the reason, both of them weren’t going to be focusing on a dark future as they had been. Shinra uprising be damned, they were going to be parents.

As if they were perfectly in sync with their thoughts, their lips met in a sweet kiss. Cloud hummed as he leaned against Zack’s body, quite aware of the small bump that sat between them. He was sure he’d be more aware of it now more than ever, except it would be purely positive rather than quiet anxiety.

Zack pulled out of the kiss slowly and it didn’t take much to see what was on his mind. This wasn’t a stop-gap to relieve stress today; it was all about having their own celebration for the news. Just as he leaned in again, the phone began to ring. “Of all the damn times,” he growled.

“It’s probably Tifa,” Cloud mumbled against Zack’s lips. He kissed his Alpha as the other grumbled, making Cloud smirk. “I should get that.”

“If you do, I’ll make sure she knows what she interrupted,” Zack warned, chasing after Cloud’s lips when the Omega pulled away.

Cloud ignored him, answering the phone to Tifa’s anxious voice on the other side. “We’re okay, we found her. She wanted to meet with my specialist.”

“Is everything all right? What did she say?” she asked, sounding like she was on the edge of her seat.

As Cloud settled in for a talk with Tifa, Zack sat down beside him. At first, Cloud wasn’t bothered by his Alpha beside him, but he quickly noticed Zack was getting closer. “She had a few files from Hojo, including mine. When she – Zack!”

He felt Zack’s face at his neck, hands crawling up his body. “I warned you,” he muttered.

“Cloud?”

“S-sorry, Zack is – never mind. I don’t have time to give the whole story,” he said, biting back a noise that couldn’t be disguised as anything but sexual. Cloud reached up with his free hand, trying to push Zack away but failing. “Can I fill you in later?”

Zack purposefully went after a sensitive spot on Cloud’s neck, making him groan despite himself. “Zack, c’mon,” he hissed, hearing Tifa squeak on the other side of the phone before laughing.

“I’ll assume it was good news and leave you two alone,” she replied. “I’ll tell Barret not to worry.”

Biting back another groan, Cloud made a strangled noise of affirmation. “T-thanks. Talk to you later, promise.” He hung up the phone and scowled at Zack, even though he was just as eager to get into it as his Alpha was. “Really?”

Laughing breathlessly, Zack answered by nipping at Cloud’s neck. “Yes, really. I need you.”

The phone began to ring again and this time Cloud was the first one to growl at it. “Fuck this,” he grunted, turning all of his attention to Zack instead.

“I think I’d rather fuck you,” Zack teased.

Cloud smirked, pulling off his own shirt to lay it over the phone and muffling the sound. He shifted in his seat and looked at Zack, mako-blue eyes filled with lust. There didn’t even need to be words shared between them as the Alpha all but pounced on him.

Usually they used the bed as it made it easier to roll over and shift positions. Then there were times like these, frantic and needy where one position would be more than enough. Once he felt the hand on his waist, Cloud rolled over to be on his stomach while Zack started to remove his Omega’s belt and pants.

He supposed this was just as much stress relief as the lovemaking they’d done the past few weeks. They’d been slower, almost hesitant as they tried to savour their time together. It’d been a long time since they’d gone at it so hard, Cloud didn’t realize how much he was aching for it.

Apparently, Zack had other ideas as he bent over his Omega, tongue going up Cloud’s back. There was nothing like that hot wetness on his skin, making him arch as Zack gently pressed on Cloud’s shoulders. Gentle nips followed, a larger bite at the base of Cloud’s neck ending it – another mark on him, even if it was temporary.

Zack pulled away and there was some movement behind him, suggesting he was finally removing his own clothing. A nearby cushion was placed under Cloud’s hips, something to brace him for what was to come. It was more the after than the before since Cloud was good at keeping his legs under him.

The Alpha’s warm body covered his own and Cloud braced himself for what was next. Zack didn’t hesitate, entering Cloud in one smooth motion. He knew by now that his Omega could take it and wouldn’t appreciate being treated gently at the moment. It was no surprise that Zack began moving, pulling back and slamming in at a pace they hadn’t dared to take for some time.

Stretching out his arms, Cloud moaned as he felt the burn on his bond and the fire in his gut. Zack’s hands were at Cloud’s hips, pulling him hard, just the way he loved it. Just a small adjustment and Cloud let out a sharp gasp and a groan as he felt an orgasm go through him. He cursed as Zack continued to thrust into him, bowing his head and riding out the pleasure.

Cloud lost track of time, counting it instead by how many times Zack had made him come. Even then he would lose count, not that it mattered. He loved giving into that need inside of him, the need he could only show to his Alpha.

All too soon, Zack turned to powerful thrusts, his heavy knot ramming against Cloud’s pussy. Zack’s fingers dug into his Omega’s skin as he pulled him close, grinding against the still-tight hole that eventually yielded. With the knot slipping in, Zack thrust a few more times before he came, all but roaring as he did.

Cloud cried out as he followed, feeling his womb fill with seed that had already done its job. It still felt amazing, making him move his hips as the knot rubbed all the sensitive spots inside of him. Zack groaned softly, leaning against the back of the couch as he slipped down to rest on top of Cloud. Both of them simply savoured each other’s company and the pleasure it brought.

Eventually, Cloud all but collapsed on the couch, the cushion beneath him making him comfortable. Zack always satisfied him, but he felt even more satisfied this time, likely due to all of the stress they’d just shed.

Zack nuzzled into his Omega’s neck, making Cloud smile wearily. He reached up to run his fingers through his Alpha’s hair, tilting his head to give him a few gentle kisses. It was then that the phone decided to ring again, making them both jump in surprise.

“What the hell,” Zack muttered.

Sighing softly, Cloud reached up under his shirt to finally answer the phone. “What?”

It was Barret. “The hell you mean ‘what’? I’ve been trying to reach you for the past twenty minutes.”

“Busy.” Oh yes, Cloud was always so articulate after getting his mind scrambled. “We can catch up later.”

He took in a breath as Zack shifted to his side, pulling Cloud with him and causing his sensitive body to shudder. A rest sounded wonderful about now – an honest rest.

Barret made a noise on the other end of the phone. “Oh, hell no. You did not answer the phone while you’re – “

“ _Later_ , Barret. Talk to Tifa.”

Reaching up, he hung up the phone then immediately knocked it off the hook. Zack chuckled, kissing Cloud’s shoulders before settling in for a long rest. Whatever may come, Cloud felt like he could take it all on.


	12. Unexpected Allies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter the Turks. I did absolutely _not _expect to enjoy writing for them as much as I have. Reno in particular is fun and should give you a tiny hint of things I'm working on in the background.__
> 
> __As always, thank you all for your support! It means a lot to me. ❤️_ _

It was nice to get out and enjoy a lunch now and then. Cloud had been practically demoted to desk duty now that he was very obviously showing. It’d meant a lot of staying inside and doing mundane paperwork, much to his irritation. It didn’t stop him from taking up some of the training exercises, finding he felt better being active than idle.

Rare was the time that he could go out for lunch with Zack who had taken on a lot of the work to pick up where Cloud left off. The little café they’d decided to go to had good sandwiches and even better milkshakes, the vanilla having become one of Cloud’s favourites at the moment. He was just glad his cravings weren’t entirely off the wall right now.

He sipped at his milkshake as he and Zack looked at some of the intel gathered by their task force. All signs pointed to ex-Shinra employees and Shinra sympathisers trying to get the world back the way it once was. This meant mako energy usage yet again, which was frustrating considering they now had hydro energy to replace it – something that _didn’t_ require destruction of the Planet to use.

“Well, well, what have we here?”

A familiar voice made Cloud look over, eyes going wide as he tried not to choke on his drink. “The Turks?” he asked.

Reno, Rude, Tseng, and Elena approached their table, finely dressed as ever and looking as if they never missed a day at work. They’d lost track of the Turks after Meteor hit Midgar, but it shouldn’t have surprised Cloud that they were still around. That they were in Kalm _was_ surprising, however.

“Eh, I guess we still go by that.” Reno paused, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Cloud. It was his turn to be shocked. “The hell?!”

“He’s an Omega,” Rude and Tseng said at the same time.

Elena smiled lightly. “Congratulations.”

“Wait, when the hell did you guys figure out he’s an Omega?” Reno said, looking to Rude and Tseng.

Rude shrugged. “Always. The Alpha knows.”

“His personnel file made it quite obvious if you’d bothered to read it,” Tseng chimed in.

Cloud could only smirk as Reno tried to parse the new information, remembering how many times they’d thrown down. Reno was definitely no Alpha, but anyone getting a beating by an Omega generally tended to take it personally. It flew in the face of what many chauvinists thought Omegas were: submissive, easily overpowered, kind, and gentle.

“What brings you here?” Zack asked, gathering up the files they’d had laid out. “Not for a nice chat and a sandwich, I’m guessing.”

Not even taking an invitation, all four of the Turks grabbed a seat at the table Cloud and Zack were at. Cloud was at least glad they weren’t here for an obvious fight. The only one who had a weapon was Reno, but that was because he always had it on him.

“I won’t insult your intelligence since I know you are both head of security here in Kalm. You know of the movements here,” Tseng said, all business as usual.

“Here I thought you’d be part of the gang that wants Shinra back on top. I remember they paid pretty well, didn’t they?” Zack shrugged, leaning in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. “What about it?”

Rude threw some pictures on the table, all of them showing some very familiar faces. “If we can see them, so can everyone else.”

“Surprise, Shinra grunts don’t do well for stealth missions,” Reno sneered. His eyes kept going down to Cloud’s stomach, catching himself every so often. “At least now we know why you didn’t do it yourself.”

“Are you spying for the splinter group and passing us a warning?” Cloud asked, arching a brow.

Tseng shook his head. “A warning of sorts, yes. There are eyes within the group upon your task force, and some eyes are within your own security team. Surely you must have known that not all of them would give up on Shinra so easily.”

Enemies, enemies everywhere. Cloud and Zack had been riding fairly high for the past couple of months since the news that they would likely have a new addition to the family without complications. The subsequent ultrasounds and confirmation that everything was proceeding normally had only made them less wary of the outside world. For better or worse, the two believed they could always handle any human enemies that came their way.

Picking up one of the pictures, Cloud finished off his drink and set the cup aside. He shifted in his seat with a soft grunt, putting one hand on his rounded stomach. “I find it hard to believe you’d give us a friendly warning about this.”

“If you’re looking to get in on intel gathering, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” Zack said. “We’re just part of security so we can make recommendations, it’s the council you need the vote from.”

Elena snorted, looking over to Tseng. “I told you so.”

Tseng put up a hand to silence her, looking to Zack and Cloud. “I understand that perfectly well, but surely you have some sway in the council. We know that Kalm has turned from a small town into a city, with bursting coffers to match.”

Of course, it came down to money. “The security team doesn’t have enough funding for you.” Cloud shrugged with one shoulder. “Barret might not listen to us, either.”

“Don’t you ever mellow out?” Reno muttered, running a hand through his hair. “I thought having brats was supposed to make Omegas more pliant.”

“Me being an Omega really gets to you, doesn’t it?” Cloud chuckled. He looked over to Zack who gathered up the pictures and stuffed them into the file folder they had. “All we can do is put in a good word. We can’t make any promises.”

A gentle tapping made everyone look over to Zack who was tapping with a finger on the table. “If you’re going to suggest you’ll go to the other guys, then do it. We need to be able to trust you, just like you need to be able to trust us. If we throw in that the Turks are willing to work with us to take down the Shinra splinter group, we need to know you won’t throw in with them, too.”

Rude tilted his head. “What good would that do us?”

“We don’t want Shinra back any more than you do,” Elena said. “There’s no reason for them to exist in the world now.”

“Some of them simply liked the iron fist that Shinra used to subjugate people,” Tseng said, nodding.

“And you don’t?” Cloud challenged, looking at Reno who merely glared back. “You’ll have to name your price and hope the council accepts it.”

“That’s what negotiations are for.” Tseng sighed softly, looking at Zack. “You know as well as I do that this world doesn’t need Shinra, but it can use people who can bring them down. Kalm is not the only place this is happening in.”

So, they had information on global events as well. Cloud felt his stomach do a flip, though he was sure that wasn’t entirely on being uneasy. He’d already been making enough embarrassing sounds on a regular basis thanks to the baby kicking his insides the wrong way. He rarely got nauseous, but that was definitely thanks to the fact he walked everywhere and didn’t have to take anything that would give him motion sickness.

Zack pushed himself to his feet, nodding to Tseng. “All right. I can introduce you to the council and at least try to win them over.”

“Barret’s going to love this,” Cloud sighed, getting to his feet as well. “I’ll go with you. Two voices are better than one.”

They all began following Zack, Reno falling into step beside Cloud. Silently, he hoped that they could convince the council to hire the Turks in some capacity. He didn’t want to know what would happen if they were left to their own devices.

“Hey,” Reno muttered. “If I’d known you were an Omega, I might’ve been gentler on you.”

Cloud’s eyes moved to look at the Turk before he shook his head and looked forward again. “It didn’t matter back then. It’s a long story, but I’ll bet Tseng would gladly fill you in.”

Suddenly, Reno’s behaviour wasn’t as odd as before. The red-haired, fired-up man was actually _sorry_ for the battles they’d had well over a year ago. He could only imagine what was going through the other’s mind, possibly considering if he’d caused lasting damage. If only he knew the half of it.

“Look, I don’t blame you. We all had to do what we had to do. Things were different bac k then.” Cloud cast another glance over to Reno. “You should know better than to doubt an Omega.”

Reno arched a brow then chuckled. “Guess so. Everything looks different on the other side. You’ve got a kid on the way and a bonding tattoo; it just doesn’t jive with the same guy I scrapped with in Midgar.”

Laughing softly, Cloud nodded, finally understanding where the Turk was coming from. “Everything changes, Reno, not always in the ways that you expect.”

“You’re telling me. I mean, _Zack_ of all people.” Reno winked to show he was playing. “I guess you could do worse.”

It was odd having another male Omega to speak with, though he didn’t get the feeling that Reno was exactly jealous of his position. Curious, more like it. It all started with curiosity and then began to slip into a desire. He highly doubted that Reno would have even a fraction of the problems that Cloud had to deal with, though there were always hurdles with male Omegas.

Male Omegas were an oddity, after all. What happened when lines crossed in genetics and produced a male that could bear children. Female Omegas were much more common, considered more fertile and desirable than males. Some male Omegas never found an Alpha to take them, others never looked to begin with. He did wonder where Reno stood.

Things were much more relaxed as the group arrived at the council building. Zack requested an emergency audience with the council which was already gathered. The request was granted quickly and the reaction to their entrance was immediate. Almost everyone was familiar with the Turks.

“Council members, I come to you today with the Turks who have provided us with valuable information regarding the Shinra splinter cell that has been trying to take root in Kalm.” Sometimes Zack could be rather well-spoken. Cloud kept his admiration to their shared bond, not wanting to embarrass his Alpha. “Will you listen to what Tseng has to say?”

Barret glared mutinously at both Zack and Cloud before turning to the council. The only one who argued against them was Barret which meant Tseng took the podium to present what he had.

Even Barret calmed as Tseng spoke, passing along the information that Kalm was only one part of the uprising. He gave the council far more information than he’d given even Cloud and Zack, likely on purpose before he made his proposition.

“So, why now? You been trying to find out who’s got the better Gil to throw behind?” Barret asked once Tseng was finished.

Tseng smiled and shook his head. “Not exactly. Gathering information takes time, and my colleagues and I were more than happy to be living normal lives. Unfortunately, I fear that no one can live a normal life so long as the ghost of Shinra persists.”

It was clear that it chafed Barret to admit that Tseng had a point. Working with the Turks was hardly an ideal situation, but Cloud felt that they were being genuine. From his small talk with Reno, he had no doubt that his fellow Omega would now be considering settling down himself eventually. That couldn’t be done when the world was trying to repeat a mistake.

The council excused itself to deliberate in the back room, leaving the group to wait. Cloud took the opportunity to sit, letting out a breath as he did. He ignored the looks he got from the Turks, shrugging lightly. He wasn’t about to apologize for his aching back, nor was he going to complain about it.

Not much time passed before the council returned, Cloud jumping to his feet as they filed back in. As he expected, the request was granted and the Turks were put under the security banner, meaning they would answer to Zack and Cloud. There was no doubt that had been a recommendation by Barret, knowing that the two had history with the Turks.

All four of them seemed pleased as they would get their paycheques _and_ be able to do their jobs without complaint. They left the council chambers and Zack suggested going back to the security building as they could find a proper office for the Turks to operate from.

“You’ll all need places to stay, too.” Zack sighed.

“No need. All of us have taken up residences already,” Tseng said, smiling at Zack. “We had the confidence that you could use our help and would accept it.”

“The balls on this guy.” Zack smirked, looking over to Cloud.

“Come on, you know you need professionals on the job,” Elena said, flashing a smile to the Alpha. “Even a strong guy like you could use a helping hand now and then.”

Who would have ever imagined them working with the Turks? What a world they lived in.


	13. The Domestic Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last bit of smut before everything begins to ramp up. Not the end of fluff between the two as one more chapter of random thoughts will appear before the end.
> 
> Thank you all yet again for your support! It's been more than I expected and has definitely encouraged me to keep going. You're all awesome and I hope you all have a fantastic day. ☀💕️

Seven months, give or take a week or two. Cloud couldn’t believe how far he’d gotten, especially since the first three were filled with nothing but anxiety. Both of his doctors could only say positive things about how he was doing, even if he was still labelled as a “high-risk pregnancy” due to the mako in his system.

With the impending addition to their family, Zack pressed once more to get a house of their own. Unlike the first time, Cloud agreed eagerly. They would no longer have to worry about disturbing their neighbours and they’d have the space to expand upon. Finding a home was next on their agenda, once they got time.

Cloud lay on the bed, hands rubbing over his stomach with a soft noise. They knew now that their baby was a boy, though it was too early to tell if he would be an Omega, Alpha, or Beta. Zack had loudly proclaimed that it didn’t matter to him and he would be proud of his boy no matter what. Anyone who didn’t see that coming truly didn’t know Zack at all.

“Sleeping?” Zack asked, poking his head into the bedroom.

Shaking his head, Cloud looked over at Zack. “Relaxing for once. He keeps on kicking in all the wrong places. The only time he doesn’t is when I’m lying down.”

Zack slipped into the bedroom, climbing into bed beside his Omega. He took the opportunity to put his hands upon Cloud’s stomach, feeling his son respond.

There was something calming about watching an Alpha fawn over their Omega. Zack could be serious or a complete clown, but he turned into a pile of marshmallow fluff when alone with Cloud. Though it was likely instincts, Zack never fought against them. Just as Cloud allowed himself to be the Omega he was inside around Zack, so too did Zack allow himself to be the Alpha he was around Cloud.

“How’s dinner coming along?” Cloud asked. He ran his fingers through Zack’s hair, enjoying their time alone. It was a day off for them both, one that Cloud was more than grateful for.

Pressing another kiss to Cloud’s belly, Zack turned his head to rest on it instead. “It’s coming. I knew what I was in for when I promised a nice steak dinner. Just like mom used to make.”

It was nice to enjoy something so mundane. Since the Turks had gotten involved, the information they’d gotten about Shinra’s splinter cells had come in quickly. Clearly, there were more Turks working the field globally. The four in Kalm had helped to weed out the weak links in their security staff, definitely earning every Gil of their pay.

“You’re lost again.”

Cloud jumped at Zack’s voice, opening his eyes that he didn’t realize were closed. “Sorry. I keep thinking of how much is going on right now. I shouldn’t be thinking about all that paperwork sitting on my desk in the office.”

Zack lifted himself to lay down beside his lover, nudging him to turn to his side. “Take a deep breath and let it out slowly.”

“Isn’t it a bit early to start breathing exercises?” Cloud teased, his grin widening as he saw the look on Zack’s face. He did as he was asked, closing his eyes and leaning against his Alpha as he did. “I know, we’re having a nice day at home and the outside world doesn’t exist.”

“Better,” Zack muttered, leaning in for a kiss. He set his hand on Cloud’s stomach, feeling the activity within. “We like to call this the calm before the storm.”

“I thought we were trying to calm me down, not remind me that it’s back to reality tomorrow,” Cloud groused. “The one day that I’m allowing myself to be…”

He trailed off, unable to say that he was allowing himself to be weak. Staying strong and keeping his game face on all the time was exhausting. It didn’t help that his emotions were constantly betraying him, making him both snappy and on the verge of breaking down entirely. It was like walking a tightrope when he didn’t know where his feet were supposed to go next.

Without having to say anything, Zack went as close to Cloud as he could. Neither of them could be who they really were outside of their own home. Even around their own friends they were guarded, having built up who they wanted others to see them as.

Taking in another breath, Cloud nuzzled under Zack’s chin. “We still need to think of names.”

“No, we need to agree on _a_ name,” Zack corrected, sounding drowsy. “How about we take the book out after dinner?”

Cloud was about to respond when a knock came at the door. He paused then tilted his head up to press his lips against Zack’s. “Ignore it,” he mumbled.

The knock came again, more insistent this time. Both of them grumbled, holding to one another as they heard a measured knock once more. Eventually, they both got up out of bed, making their way slowly to the door.

“I’m telling you, they’re never gonna – oh, shit,” Reno whispered, grimacing as the door opened.

Cloud was the one who’d opened the door, his expression clearly reflecting his soured mood. “Tseng, Reno, this had better be good.”

Even Tseng had the decency to recoil, peering over his shoulder to Reno for help. Reno merely smirked and shrugged. “Tried to tell you to leave them alone.”

Letting out a soft noise, Cloud stepped aside to let them in. He closed the door and followed the two Turks to the living room, not even apologizing for the glare that Zack gave to them. They were both pissed off that their day off had been interrupted, only hoping that they could chase the Turks from their living space quickly.

“What was so damn important that you had to come here on today of all days?” Cloud asked, easing himself down into an armchair.

Tseng cleared his throat, reaching into his jacket to pull out a folded piece of paper. “My apologies. You know I would not have come if it wasn’t important.”

Zack came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. He took the paper and unfolded it, shaking his head. “What is this?”

“A list of moles planted all over Kalm,” Reno said. “They’ve been gathering information, just like we have.”

Just like that, Cloud was back to being all business, taking the paper and skimming through it. “Some of these are shop keepers and grocers.” Underground supply chains, including weapons. “Doctors, too.”

“They have been quietly trying to build up supplies while blending right into everyday life.” Tseng frowned grimly. “I wanted to give you this list before we took action.”

Once more, Zack appeared from the kitchen. He ran his tongue over a spoon, thinking. “Keep tabs on them. If you can, try to intercept all of their shipments so we get an idea of what they’re getting.”

“You don’t want to just pull them out?” Reno asked.

Cloud caught on to what Zack was getting at, shaking his head. “You would have to do it simultaneously or they’re going to alert everyone. These are only the people we know of and we could lose the others if we play our cards wrong.”

Tseng nodded in agreement. “That is what I thought as we could at least recover the supplies before they get into the wrong hands. It would also sow dissention among them as blame goes around for where they went.”

“Great! We got that settled, let’s go,” Reno said, leaping to his feet.

“But…”

Cloud watched in shocked silence as Reno pulled Tseng to his feet then started pushing him toward the door. “We’ll get on it. You keep that list; we’ve got a copy of our own.” He opened the door, practically shoving Tseng through it. “Enjoy your dinner! Sorry for the interruption.”

The door closed, leaving the two staring blankly at it. It was Cloud who broke the silence with a soft laugh, turning to look up at Zack.

“I never thought I’d like Reno.”

Zack could only smile lightly. “It’s amazing how Omegas can get close to each other, isn’t it?” he commented, shrugging one shoulder. “Pretty sure he thought I’d be carrying you to the door fully tied with me.”

Getting to his feet, Cloud chuckled, getting closer to his Alpha so he could brush their lips together. “That comes later. While I’d love to do it right here, right now, I don’t want your dinner to go to waste.” He was distracted, looking to the discarded paper on the coffee table. “And maybe we should – “

“Oh, no you don’t. We’re not going to fall into that pit after Reno so graciously tried to prevent that.” Zack plucked the paper up and set it on top of a set of books on the bookshelf. He pulled down the baby naming book they’d been using while he was there, pressing it into Cloud’s hands. “Let’s focus on something else.”

He knew that Zack was right, that they needed to have this downtime. While he definitely did want to look through the list, he decided to let it go for the time being. The Turks were taking care of it and that was what was important. Results would come in time, but they wouldn’t always have a moment to themselves like this.

A spoon was placed under his nose, making Cloud start. The smell of a spiced gravy made his mouth water and his tongue quickly darted out to taste it. A soft hum rose up in him and he instantly found the paper less appealing than joining Zack in the kitchen.

“Good, isn’t it?” Zack preened. “Mom’s old recipe. It’s not a proper dinner without it.”

“Being domestic looks good on you,” Cloud said, unable to help himself from smiling. “Do you remember what letter we were on?”

The two walked into the kitchen, the interruption forgotten for the time being. It was nice to pretend to have a mundane, domestic life for a few hours.

Everything seemed further from Cloud’s mind s they enjoyed their company together. It turned out that Zack was an excellent cook, though Cloud was sure he himself would take it up once their baby was born. Granted, Alphas would bring food to provide, but an Omega was usually the one to prepare it for the family. Too many saw the Alpha and Omega dynamic as domination and control when that was the farthest thing from the truth. It was true that it _could_ be that way for some, for most, it was an equal partnership.

Once the dishes were done, Cloud locked the door and then knocked the phone off the hook. He was tired of interruptions, tired of dealing constantly with the outside world. Even if it was a complete lie, he wanted to indulge his Omega instincts and dote on his Alpha who had so graciously given him a child.

Okay, it wasn’t _exactly_ like that, but it was all about living the lie for a brief moment in time.

He went to the bedroom, pulling off every last stitch of clothing he had on along the way. His large, blue denim jeans joined his simple sleeveless deep blue shirt, both of which were big enough to last him the rest of his pregnancy. He wasn’t exactly a fashion-oriented person and had already been chastised by Tifa for being plain with his choice of clothing. As much as he liked indulging his Omega side, he didn’t really have a part of him that wanted to look fashionable – the Wall Market incident notwithstanding.

Zack’s eyes were on him the instant he entered the bedroom and he patted the empty space beside him. “Where were we before Tseng and Reno interrupted us?”

“We were more clothed, if I remember right.” Cloud slid into the bed, rolling over to press up against Zack as much as he could. “But we were definitely right about here,” he murmured, nuzzling underneath his Alpha’s chin.

He closed his eyes, taking in Zack’s soft scent. “Thanks for dinner tonight. It was nice, even when we were interrupted.”

Sighing gently, Zack made a noise suggesting that he’d heard his lover. They were both drowsy, though definitely not enough to sleep. Cloud could feel those hands sliding down his body and sense the amusement in their bond. “We didn’t come in here just to talk more.”

“No, we came in here to sleep,” Cloud teased.

Before he could say anything more, his ass was squeezed and Zack let out a gentle growl. _There_ was the Alpha he knew was inside. Cloud tilted his head, pressing his lips to Zack’s throat, feeling the rumble there. It still didn’t take much to get their blood pumping, even after these few months.

“Roll over,” Zack said, his voice low and raspy.

Not hesitating, Cloud complied so his back was to his Alpha. He was pulled closer, their bodies fitting against one another perfectly.

Their positions were limited now that Cloud had a belly in the way. Riding was one of their favourites, followed by doggy style. Every once in a while, Zack liked to take it slow and they’d do it while spooned against one another.

Zack slipped a hand down Cloud’s leg before lifting it, making it easier for him to get inside. They still didn’t tend to bother much with foreplay as both of them were always ready go at each other. The amount of times Cloud had to remind Zack that doing it in their office wasn’t an option was more than one would think.

As always, there was no hesitation on Zack’s part. He entered in one smooth motion and began moving just as quickly. It wasn’t the heated, fast-paced lovemaking they usually went for, but it still satisfied. Zack called the shots this way, working slowly to try and drag out every last orgasm he could from his Omega.

Cloud groaned, grasping the sheets beneath him tightly as Zack thrust into him deeply. Having no leverage, he couldn’t do much but angle himself ever so slightly so that cock inside of him hit the right spot.

He could get used to it, especially the way that Zack held still when Cloud came. Not for too long, but long enough that Cloud was sure he was just enjoying the way his muscles rippled along his dick.

Orgasm melted into orgasm, making Cloud lose track of anything other than the pleasure he felt. He picked up on when Zack started thrusting more deliberately, growling as he carefully rolled Cloud over to start taking him from behind more roughly than before. Cloud’s legs trembled ominously as his Alpha pounded into him, pressing his face into the bed as the knot was pushed inside. It was a rare treat for both of them to orgasm together, catching Zack off-guard as he held to Cloud’s hips and buried himself in deep.

They rolled over again together, Cloud letting his body do the work to massage out everything Zack had to offer him. He had thought it would get uncomfortable to be filled as he went along, and perhaps it would in time, but he didn’t mind it.

Zack pressed kisses to the back of Cloud’s neck. “Love you so much, Cloud,” he murmured, putting a hand on his Omega’s swollen stomach.

Reaching down to thread their fingers together, Cloud smiled softly. “Love you lots, Zack.”

Yeah, he could definitely get used to domestic bliss, if only he were given the chance.


	14. Deceiving Appearances

“You must be excited with how close you’re getting,” Dr. Tiller said, offering Cloud a smile.

Cloud hummed, placing a hand on top of his stomach. “More nervous, I think. The false contractions I’ve gotten haven’t been all that pleasant.” Really, the first one he’d felt had shocked him enough that he feared that he’d gone into premature labour. “I think I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little excited.”

Percy laughed softly. “First timers generally are nervous. You’ve been doing well so I feel like there will be no complications, but we’ll be vigilant when the time comes.”

“It’s too bad Dr. Holm couldn’t come today,” Cloud commented. She’d been a constant visitor since she was found to have answers they sought. In fact, she’d been just as excited as Zack was for their new arrival.

“She seems to be quite preoccupied with her old friend.” Dr. Tiller was far less concerned, waving a dismissive hand as he finished off whatever notes he had to write. “I’m sure she won’t miss the birth for the world.”

It was hard to believe he was getting so close to the time he thought he’d never see. Even sitting in their new home with a crib and other baby needs, it still felt like he was living in a dream. The whole situation wouldn’t likely feel real until he held his son in his arms. He felt quite foolish as the contractions and the movement inside of him should be enough to drive it home.

The doctor got to his feet, pulling Cloud from his thoughts. “I’m sure she won’t,” he said, getting up as well.

Going to the door, Cloud opened it with a soft breath. Dr. Tiller put a hand on the Omega’s shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. “Try not to worry. You’ve been through a lot, but it’s almost over. Then the _real_ trials begin.”

Cloud laughed lightly. “You’re probably right. I have a feeling he’s going to start taking after Zack from the bad timing he has.”

“Best get used to it. Babies have no regard for their parents and their earthly needs.” Percy waved as he started down the path from the front door. “See you next week!”

Raising his hand in a farewell, Cloud closed the door behind him. The appointments had gotten more frequent in the last few weeks, but now they’d slowed down once more as they played the waiting game. He was as prepared as he could possibly be for the birthing process without going through it. They had as much as they could get for the time being, including toys that Tifa had insisted on giving.

Cloud had already been taken off of even desk duty, Tseng picking up the slack in his absence. It seemed that diverting the supplies had done the job of causing dissent among those who would see Shinra rise from the ashes of the old. Some of them had closed up shop already but it didn’t take long to ferret them out once more. It felt like things were finally getting under control.

Sighing as he felt his thoughts running away from him, Cloud turned to the kitchen. He needed some of the tea he’d gotten into recently. He’d never been much for tea before, but it helped relax him.

A knock came at the door and he went back to open it, tipping his head to one side when he saw who was on the other side. “Reno?”

The Turk said nothing, slipping in and closing the door behind him. He silently motioned for them to go to a back room, one that Cloud chose: the storage room. Whatever was going on, Cloud found himself on alert as only one in the military could be.

“Why the hell are you seeing that guy?” Reno demanded as soon as they were in the storage room.

Cloud narrowed his eyes. “He’s my pregnancy specialist. I’ve been seeing him since I found out I was pregnant. Why?”

“Did you not read that list we gave to you like a month ago?” Reno looked almost panicked. “Cloud, that guy is on that list we gave you of Shinra moles.”

His blood ran cold at the words, feeling his stomach tightening as the gravity of what Reno had told him settled in. Doctor Percy Tiller had every last bit of information on him and Zack, not to mention their unborn son. What information had he given to the Shinra cell? _Who_ had he given the information to?

“Are you positive?” Cloud asked, knowing the answer already. “Why would he be so interested in seeing Shinra revived? He was the one who even told us about the scientists in the first place.”

Reno could only shrug helplessly. For the first time, Cloud could see genuine concern in the Turk’s face – concern directed at him. The world had changed so quickly that it was no wonder Cloud felt like he was in a dream. In what world did Reno actually care one iota what happened to him? It was this one, apparently.

A phone was taken out of Reno’s pocket and he flipped it, anxiously pushing a button. “Boss, we’ve got a big problem. All that headway we were making? Yeah, it’s not as much as we think it was.” The Turk nodded with a noise of assent, looking around the doorway. “Is there a backdoor?”

“It leads into the backyard and I’m not climbing that fence anytime soon. Unless you’re offering to push me up there…”

Smirking, Reno shook his head. “No backdoor exit, trust me. I’ll send him out on his own and trail behind. We’ll meet you at the office.” Hanging up the phone, Reno sighed. “You heard me. They don’t know that the target of interest is you. I don’t have a death wish and Zack would jeopardize the whole thing if he found out right now.”

“I’m going to expect answers when we get to the office,” Cloud said. He turned to leave then stopped, looking to Reno and nodding. “Thanks.”

“Thank me when we’re at the damned security building.”

Cloud directed Reno to the backdoor while he himself went out the front. He did his best to make it look like he was busy, possibly going back to the office with something Zack forgot. If any of the Shinra sympathisers were watching, they would suspect nothing – so long as they didn’t see Reno enter the house.

He kept his eyes forward, not wanting to make it look like he was suspicious of those around him. If they were planning to grab him, they wouldn’t do it in a crowded area. Keeping to the crowds was his best tactic and it was easy to do considering how many were out at this time in the afternoon. He could be surrounded by Shinra and they couldn’t do a thing without drawing attention to themselves.

Once inside, Cloud hurried to the office, entering it and closing the door behind him. It was Reno who drew the blinds, making Cloud look over. Of course, Reno would be able to find his way here quickly and likely had an alternate way in. Sometimes, Cloud missed when he could be nimble.

“What’s going on?” Zack asked, looking between Cloud and Reno.

“Why the hell didn’t you read that list we gave you?” Reno asked, slamming his hands upon Zack’s desk. “That doctor he’s been seeing reports to the science team for the Shinra hopefuls.”

The colour drained from Zack’s face, obviously remembering how they’d both all but discarded the sheet of paper in favour of playing house. Neither of them had gone back to it since they were preoccupied with everything else in their lives. Undoubtedly, both of them had thought the Turks had it under control.

“Why would Dr. Tiller want to work with anyone from Shinra? He didn’t know anything about Hojo’s experiments, either.” Cloud was desperately trying to find a reason, hoping that maybe they were mistaken.

“Percy Tiller was studying reproductive sciences when Avalanche bombed Sector One’s reactor. As you well know, the destruction was devastating. Among the casualties was a Myra Tiller, Percy’s mother, who was a doctor at one of Sector One’s clinics.” Tseng didn’t look up from the paperwork he was filling out. “Shinra took care of the funeral arrangements and he blamed Avalanche for her death. You can understand his motivations.”

Cloud sighed, running his hands down his face. Even so long after the incident, the consequences continued to echo through their lives. “Dr. Tiller was the one who mentioned that there was a group of people wanting Shinra back. Why would he tell us about it then join them?”

“It’s called acting. He’s been doing it since you told him everything and telling you about it meant jack shit in the long run,” Reno said. “He only needed an in with them and you were it.”

Tseng looked up finally, dropping his pen on the paper in front of him. “You told him your histories which gave him the opportunity to become valuable to the uprising,” he explained. “With a reproductive specialist now on their team, those who worked under Professor Hojo have an advantage.”

“And I’ll bet us bringing in Dr. Holm prevented him from recommending one of his own friends,” Zack sighed wearily. “It was still to his advantage because she filled in the blanks for all of them.”

Essentially, they had handed themselves to the Shinra uprising on a silver platter with all the fixings. It wasn’t as if they had any reason to believe that anyone was trying to bring Shinra back at the time, especially not someone who readily admitted that it was a possibility to their faces. The damage was done and now they had to figure out how to handle it.

“They think you’re gonna pop out another Sephiroth,” Reno said, the words lacking any of their usual bite. “Doesn’t matter if they’re right, it’s what they believe and they’ll use junior there to power their new SOLDIERs.”

“Or, they’ll take me with them,” Cloud muttered. “There’s no reason to let me go to waste when I worked once.”

He flinched, feeling the protective and possessive emotions that ran through his bond from Zack. Casting a glance over to him, he could tell that the Alpha was silently seething at the idea that Cloud could be taken and used as nothing but breeding stock. No one sane tried to interfere with an Alpha’s expectant Omega.

Cloud moved over to stand beside Zack, putting a hand on his shoulder. It was a silent prompt for the other to relax, to know that Cloud and his unborn child were still beside him. He felt Zack calming from his presence, hoping that it would allow him to see clearer.

“We can speculate endlessly on their plans, but that will not give us a direction to take now.” Tseng looked over to Zack. “Your home is likely to be the target when they decide to execute their plan.”

Zack closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. “I know. If we change anything right now, they’ll know we’re onto them.”

“Then let’s not change anything.” Cloud felt eyes on him and he nodded. “It’s too late by now to cancel plans with the doctor. He needs to believe that he has me right where he wants me.”

Reno leaned against the wall, not looking pleased in the least. “So, you want to come up with an escape route instead of trying to take outward action.” He shrugged, tilting his head to Tseng. “Let’s redirect some of our focus. Put the big guns on the house while we let the others keep an eye on the rest of the assholes?”

Cloud had thought Zack would be the most opposed to the idea, but he let out a heavy breath. “All right, let’s work out a few plans and keep our circle close. We don’t know how much time we have, so let’s order in something and start brainstorming.”

“First of all, you’re going to put a gate on that backyard of yours,” Reno grumbled.

Smirking, Cloud chuckled as he pulled up a chair to sit beside Zack. “Duly noted. Let’s talk about the rest…”


	15. Lost in His Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some extra fluff between Zack and Cloud before everything. Mostly for establishing purposes, but also because I can't resist with these two. I hope I get more inspiration to write for them soon.
> 
> As always, thank you all for your support! You make an old lady's heart happy. 💕

It was hard to keep pretending that things were fine. Cloud had already seen Percy Tiller since that time, though Cara was with him this time. He doubted that Cara could ever be persuaded to join Shinra’s side again. Confident as he was about that fact, one part of the plans consisted of having her help with delivery.

Zack had been unsure about that part of the plan, not having as much confidence as Cloud did in Dr. Holm. “Let me take care of that part. If we have to, we’ll get her to help.”

Initially, Cloud hadn’t understood what Zack was going to do. It was going to be difficult to find a midwife on short notice if he went into labour on the run. When Zack brought back a few books from the store, Cloud had finally got an idea of what his Alpha was planning.

“You’re taking a crash course in being a midwife?!” he exclaimed, “Do you know how long it takes to do that?”

Looking up from his book, Zack shrugged. “You know that Alphas used to be the only ones present during a delivery unless there were other Omegas, right? Some clans still do it that way.”

Thinking on it, he remembered hearing it in his classes before that some clans insisted on it. At the time, he couldn’t begin to imagine what it would be like to not have a doctor there. Now he was being presented with that possibility and he had to ask if he trusted Zack enough to do this. Was reading a book a good substitute for actual training?

Zack could clearly feel the uncertainty and he got up from where he was reading to sit down beside Cloud, book in hand. “You have to trust me. If anything goes wrong, the moment I think you’re in trouble, I’m going to get Cara.”

Which meant that, if everything went smoothly, Zack could bring their son into the world. “You know I trust you, Zack. I trust you more than anyone on the Planet.” Cloud took the book, holding Zack’s place with one finger while he flipped through it. “Are you sure _you’re_ comfortable doing this? It’s not going to be a walk in the park.”

Not that he’d expected anything less, but the false contractions for the past few weeks were worse than injuries he’d had in the past. The real thing would be more continuous contractions and Zack would have to accept that there wasn’t anything he could do to alleviate that. Cloud could take the pain; it was his Alpha seeing and hearing him in pain that may make things difficult.

“Hey, I know it won’t be. Believe it or not, Alpha classes do include what childbirth is like. Not in detail, but enough that we know what to expect.” Zack shrugged, taking the book back. “You do the hard work and I’ll be there to assist.”

Laughing softly, Cloud shifted in his seat to sink into the cushions of the couch. “I’m almost afraid to ask what they _did_ show. Probably a lot of pained screaming and none of what’s on the other end of it.”

“I’ve seen you down there before in multiple ways.” Zack shrugged, grinning confidently at his lover. “Cloud, I wish I could be the one whose hand you squeeze, but we have to do what we have to do. We’ve got to be prepared ahead of time.”

Sighing gently, Cloud leaned against his lover. “We will be. How many plans did we come up with again?”

“Seven, if we want to include the worst-case scenarios. I don’t think we’ll need them all, but who knows when those guys will make their move?” Zack returned to reading his book, mako-blue eyes dancing across the pages. “Could be the dead of night.”

Humming softly, Cloud shifted so he could get his feet up on the couch. Zack was like his rock at the moment, not even tilting as he leaned against him more. His Alpha’s arm stretched out over him, hand resting on his stomach. Being like this, it was hard to believe that they were under threat from anything. Again, Cloud found comfort in the falsehood that they were living a simple, mundane life.

“Do you think they’re right?” he asked suddenly.

Not looking over, Zack shrugged. “About what?”

“That our son is going to be another Sephiroth.” He felt Zack tense beside him. Cloud put his hand over his Alpha’s in an attempt to reassure him. “You can’t tell me it’s not possible.”

Closing the book, Zack set it aside. “You’ve got S-Cells in you, but that doesn’t mean you’ll make another Sephiroth. I’d argue it’s hard to get Sephiroth out of both of us.”

That was true. Cloud’s mind had been buzzing with the question since Reno had put it that he was going to give the Shinra sympathisers another Sephiroth. It was hard _not_ to think of it that way, knowing his own history. The very idea of someone rallying around a second Sephiroth, cheering for the supremacy of the Shinra empire was unsettling.

A heavy kick to his diaphragm made Cloud hiccup suddenly, completely banishing such thoughts from his mind. “Excuse me,” he muttered. “He has such bad timing.”

Zack laughed softly. “Or the best timing. He’s trying to stop you from getting lost in your own head.”

“He needs to let his daddy think things through,” Cloud quipped. “I don’t get lost in my own head; I’m just trying to sort it out.”

“You really think that you’ve been carrying Sephiroth the Second all this time?” Zack asked, snorting lightly. “I’m insulted. I’d like to think that at least _my_ genes are dominant. There’s no way an Omega of mine is going to have that guy’s kid.”

Cloud looked up at Zack before he smirked, tilting his head. “What was he like before? Why did he burn down Nibelheim in the first place?”

“Sephiroth wasn’t a bad guy. He was worth the title of ‘hero’ and he knew it, too. I didn’t get to know him very well, but we got along and spoke a few times before the Nibelheim mission.” Zack closed his eyes as he thought over his next answer. “Sephiroth found out he was made, not born. They even told him his ‘mother’ was Jenova. Something inside of him broke when he read the research notes in the basement of the Shinra mansion.”

Cloud was silent for a moment, fingers lightly playing over Zack’s as he pondered. “Nature versus nurture.” He heard a questioning noise from his Alpha and he looked up again. “Was it built into his nature or was it his environment that caused it?”

“A little bit of both, I think. I doubt he had a real childhood with loving parents to dote on him. He wasn’t made to be happy; he was made to be a weapon.”

Cloud hummed thoughtfully, taking it all in. Thinking about it that way, it was impossible for a son of theirs to be anywhere close to Sephiroth. He wasn’t made in a lab, even if Cloud and Zack had been tampered with. Their child wasn’t going to be a weapon, he may not even wield a weapon if he didn’t want to. So long as they kept him out of Shinra’s hands, he would be a normal, happy child.

Yet another thought touched his mind, less troubling than before but still something he was curious about.

“Zack, do you ever hear the Lifestream?”

Shaking his head, Zack picked his book back up to keep reading. “I’ve never really heard it before. I’ve felt it, but I know you’ve always been more sensitive to it than me.”

He remembered being so mired in the Lifestream that he could barely tell where he began and ended. It’d taken a lot to get him out of it, but he’d always been sensitive to it since. Without Aerith’s guidance, Cloud was unable to ask how to handle such a power. It wasn’t something he was born with, but he had it now. A sensitivity to mako, to the voices in the Lifestream, and being close to any wounds in the Planet’s surface.

“I hate going near Midgar. There’s echoes there and I can’t understand everything being said.” He let out a gentle laugh, looking at Zack once more. “I wonder if he’ll be able to hear it, too.”

Zack’s hand rubbed soothingly over Cloud’s stomach, the same feeling passing through their bond. The Alpha was getting better at quieting his Omega through their bond, a skill that would be invaluable for both of them. As with everything else they did, they worked in tandem, even when it came to their emotions.

Cloud closed his eyes. “It wouldn’t be a bad thing. Maybe he’d be better at it than I am. Nothing like the Ancients, but at least someone can keep a beat on the Planet.”

He put a hand to his head, idly scratching with a grunt of irritation. “I take it back. You’re right, I do get lost in my own head. I want to blame it on my body being out of it, but that feels like a copout. I know it’s a thing – _mmph_!”

A pillow was dropped on Cloud’s face, effectively silencing him from saying anything else. It took a moment before he pulled it off, looking up into Zack’s face, eyes alight with amusement. Though he scowled at his Alpha, Cloud knew that sometimes he needed a not-so-subtle hint to shut the hell up.

“Please don’t make me shut you up another way,” Zack said, flashing him a grin.

Making a gentle noise, Cloud tossed the pillow down to the other end of the couch. He propped his socked feet on it before turning over to his side. “I wish I was in the mood. I miss it, even though it’s all we’ve done for months.”

There was a long-suffering sigh from Zack as he put his hand on Cloud’s side. “And to be cut off cold chocobo like that…” The Alpha was joking, of course, never having once demanded anything from his lover. “We’ll just make up for it once you forcibly evict our little one from his cozy home and into his own bedroom.”

“’ _Forcibly evict_?’ Out of every way you could say it, that’s what you’re going with?” Just like that, Cloud could only laugh, previous worries set aside for the time being. “I’m going to remember that and tell him when he gets older.”

“I’ll bet you he finds it as funny as you do.”

Having successfully distracted Cloud from his disjointed thoughts, the two settled in to read the books Zack had brought home. Cloud supposed he needed to read up on the inevitable “forcible eviction” in a way that Dr. Tiller hadn’t told him about. Nothing wrong with a refresher course, either.

At the least, it prevented him from getting lost in his own mind yet again.


	16. The Best Laid Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iiiit's showtime. In many different ways.
> 
> Thank you all for your support and enjoy! ❣️

The waiting was what really drove Cloud mad. How couldn’t he when he was expecting two separate events happening at once? He’d been certain that the doctor would make his move before he gave birth, but time dragged on and the moment inched closer.

“You know, you’ve given us enough so far, Tifa,” Cloud said, holding onto the newest blanket that his friend had brought over. “You’re spoiling him worse than his own parents.”

Tifa laughed softly. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it. Just let me be the favourite aunt for a while.”

“How has your own courting been going?” he asked.

She positively beamed as he asked her. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her so happy in recent years. “He’s wonderful _and_ he’s never had an Omega before. We’re both trying to take it slow, but you know how it is.”

Alphas and Omegas burned bright and fast the majority of the time. For the most part, it tended to work itself out. Of course, there was the odd time that a couple was made that weren’t meant for each other, but it was so hard to tell. Unlike Beta relationships, a courting generally took months before the two moved on to becoming a pair. Cloud and Zack had definitely been odd ones out in that regard.

“Oh no, is that the time? I need to get back to the bar.” Tifa got to her feet, straightening her skirt as she did. “Sorry to drop in and go so quickly, but I couldn’t wait to give that to you. One of the ladies in my building makes them.”

Cloud nodded, unfolding the small blanket again before folding it. He pushed himself to his feet, setting the blanket aside. “I was thinking of getting a nap in anyway, so it works out.” Leading the way to the door, he yawned widely. “I never thought I could feel restless and tired at the same time.”

Stopping in her tracks, Tifa looked at him with worry. “I could take a day off and stay if you want.”

Blinking, Cloud shook his head. “It’s all right. I’ve been feeling this way for days. Go back to work, I’ll be fine.”

While she definitely wasn’t convinced, Tifa could only nod in agreement before she left. He appreciated her concern, but it was the same concern he got from everyone now. He knew he was incredibly close to giving birth, he didn’t need everyone reminding him about it. It was impossible to forget with the belly in front of him all the time. And mood swings, one could never forget the mood swings. How Zack currently lived with him at all was beyond him.

He let out a heavy breath, making sure the door was locked as he made his way upstairs. The couch had become less comfortable in recent days than the bed, though he supposed that made sense. At least the bed had a very comfortable mattress and the scent Zack left behind when sleeping helped Cloud get a good rest.

Drawing the curtains, Cloud slipped into bed and drifted off almost immediately. Almost. It always took a bit of adjustment to get comfortable, even in bed.

It felt like he’d only been asleep for a moment when he heard a noise downstairs. He furrowed his brow, knowing that Zack would have immediately come to check on him. This didn’t sound like someone who was familiar with the house considering they’d bumped into a lamp.

Sliding out of bed, Cloud went to the door and heard whispering. Only one of the voices was familiar: Doctor Percy Tiller.

Carefully, he eased the bedroom door closed, taking the chair from the nearby writing desk to keep it closed. Not being able to go downstairs was a problem, but one that he’d known might pop up. It wasn’t ideal and he disliked what he had to do next, but he wasn’t about to be taken by Shinra.

He pulled on his old boots then grabbed his sword. While he couldn’t very well do all of his fancy swordplay, he could do enough to get rid of enemies in his way. He and Zack had even gone through some basic sword movements in the backyard to prove it could be done. It was a last measure, but it would shock anyone who thought any gravid Omega couldn’t defend themselves.

Knowing he didn’t have much time once he made noise, Cloud opened up the window as wide as it could go. At one point, a height like this was nothing to him, now the impact could cause him to go into labour. Considering how far along he was, he expected it to happen. Were it any other time, he would have balked at the idea, but he was close enough that he’d be fine – so long as he could get to safety.

The sword went down first, lodging itself upright in the grass below. He’d made sure to toss it far enough to the side so he wouldn’t injure himself on it. Just as he swung his legs over the windowsill, he heard the door to the bedroom being jostled. He was out of time.

Cloud took a deep breath and slipped out of the window, grunting as he landed. As he expected, the impact did not agree with him and he crouched there for a moment as he got his breath back.

“Can’t wait to be able to move again,” he muttered, going to his sword and pulling it up. Without the usual strap to keep it on his back, Cloud settled for simply holding it behind him. It wouldn’t do to go through a crowd with a massive sword, especially if he was in a hurry.

A pain ripped through him and he bit back the noise that threatened to give away where he was. “You have the worst timing,” Cloud growled through grit teeth.

Just like any other pain, Cloud knew he had to push through it – no pun intended. He needed to put some distance between his would-be captors and himself. Though he knew that it was likely that one of the Turks was nearby, he wasn’t about to count on them to bail him out. Once the initial burst of pain had passed, he started moving, unsure as to where his feet were taking him.

Going to the security building was out of the question. Even with Zack there, they all knew that not everyone in the force was exactly trustworthy. Anywhere public would just draw attention to him and he could end up in anyone’s hands. He needed to go somewhere that had people he could trust and that left him with a handful of options. If he were lucky, Barret would be home considering he wasn’t always sitting on the council.

Barret’s first.

He did his best to blend in with the crowds, quite a feat with the way he was walking. Some people moved aside while others had to be gently reminded to share the road. It was when a group of people began approaching him that he knew he needed to get off the main road. Apparently, word travelled fast.

Turning off of the road, Cloud went into an alleyway and leaned against a wall. It was only when he was behind some boxes that he allowed himself to breathe. He was more certain now than ever that the impact from the fall had induced labour. Having no idea how long it would take, Cloud assumed he was on a tight time limit.

“Find him. He can’t get that far.”

Cloud stiffened as he heard a gruff voice at the entrance to the alley. They were serious about taking him in and likely had anticipated he would be tipped off ahead of time. Shinra was nothing if not thorough and it wasn’t surprising, they likely had their own secondary plans.

A hand went over his mouth and Cloud went for his sword, stopping short when Reno came into his vision. He relaxed but reached up to keep Reno’s hand over his mouth as another contraction gripped him. To his credit, Reno didn’t try to pull away, only keeping an eye on their surroundings while Cloud did his best to breathe through it.

“Nice death grip you’ve got. You’d better be able to walk,” Reno whispered.

Letting go of the Turk’s hand, Cloud nodded. “Y-yeah, I’m good. Barret’s?”

Reno shook his head, motioning for Cloud to follow him. Another presence made itself known behind them and Cloud looked over his shoulder, spotting Rude. He could only grin tightly as he saw the crew that were after him on the ground. It wouldn’t take long for their friends to find them so he hoped that they’d get to their destination soon.

They moved quickly and Cloud was determined not to let himself become a liability. He kept up, but just barely. Rude kept him on his feet as they made their way to a smaller house he didn’t recognize. Whoever it belonged to, Reno had the key and he unlocked the door, letting the trio inside.

Cloud didn’t even pause, finding the nearest seat and easing himself into it with a groan. “Looks like I owe you.”

“Just give us a bonus or something.” Reno was beside Cloud, the concern on his face evident. “Saw you go out the window.”

“The bastards were at my bedroom door. They would have torn the whole room apart to find me.” Meaning, hiding would have been pointless.

Rude hung up the phone he was on, folding his arms as he looked to Cloud. “It cost you. How much time do you think we have?”

Cloud shook his head, finding it easier to focus now that he was sitting still. He set his sword aside and leaned back, wincing as he did. “Not sure. Probably not that long.”

“For a firstie, it’s happening pretty fast, isn’t it? I know you got jostled, but we can’t be _that_ fragile,” Reno protested. “Don’t look at me, I didn’t pay attention in class.”

“Cloud was already close to giving birth before he jumped. All he did was accelerate the process.” Rude got closer, kneeling down on one knee. “You should be on the bed, not on this seat.”

Though he was loath to do it, Cloud swallowed his pride and let Rude help him to the small bed that was in a corner. It was a two-room home, though the second room was actually the washroom. One of those smaller houses that worked well for one person, not three.

He worked to get his boots off, leaning back on his hands once he was done. “Zack?”

“On his way with Tseng,” Rude replied.

“So, you better keep that kid in until he gets here,” Reno said, moving Cloud’s boots aside.

Cloud laughed breathlessly. “Sure, I’ll just cross my legs. That should keep him in place until Zack gets here.”

The smile was wiped off his face as another contraction hit him. He could process them better now that he was stationary, breathing slowly through it until it passed. Cracking open an eye, he saw a very nervous Reno staring at him. He could only imagine what he looked like to another Omega who hadn’t decided to find an Alpha.

“Yes, it hurts like hell. No, I don’t need you to guide me through it. I’ve got this.” When in doubt, put on his outward façade like he always did.

He also took a moment to take stock of himself. His water had obviously broken from the fall and Rude was right. His body had likely been preparing him for days for this and all he needed was one good nudge to start the process. That meant he had to be close to the next stage and he’d likely completely skipped the hours of waiting for things to progress.

Rude turned to be a lookout, shaded eyes looking through the curtained window. Cloud busied himself by trying to pile the two pillows on the bed so they were at his back. He swung his legs up then relaxed on them with a grunt.

It was obviously Reno’s job to keep an eye on Cloud, though he highly doubted the Turk knew the first thing about birthing a baby. He was already clearly nervous and uncomfortable with the situation. Cloud couldn’t imagine what was going through the poor man’s mind, though it likely had something to do with never getting knocked up in his life.

“Thought you said you were going to cross your legs.” Reno sauntered over, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I don’t want to have to look between them if it’s all the same to you.”

“Trust me, I don’t want you to, either. It’s not up to me.”

Reno pointed a finger at Cloud’s stomach. “Just stay put, brat. At least until Zack gets here, then you can do whatever the hell you want.” He dropped his hand, laughing softly. “Sure don’t envy you right now.”

As if on cue, Cloud grit his teeth as another contraction started. All he could feel was pressure and he knew that it wouldn’t be long now. Tifa had likely been right to worry and it made him wonder if things would have gone differently if she had stayed.

Once it passed, he grunted as he nearly collapsed against the pillows at his back. Cloud smirked at Reno. “It’ll be worth it.”

“Having something split you in two doesn’t sound worth it,” Reno grumped.

It was unlikely that Reno would ever understand since he focused only on what Cloud was currently going through. Cloud likely would have been the same way had he been in the room with someone in labour. He’d carried his baby and that made the experience much different from his perspective. Pain now, joy later.

“They’re here,” Rude announced, opening the front door to let Zack and Tseng in.

Reno barely had time to get out of the way before Zack was beside Cloud, immediately assessing him for any injuries. He let out a heavy breath, pulling Cloud into his arms. They didn’t need words as they shared their relief through the bond they shared. It wasn’t until Tseng cleared his throat that they broke apart

“I already mobilized the team to search for the ones responsible for this plan,” Tseng said, nodding to Zack. “We will continue to monitor this area personally.”

Cloud was unable to respond as he was caught up in another contraction. It caught Zack’s attention and he did his best to help Cloud breathe through it. When Cloud relaxed, Zack was the one who sprung into action.

“Are there towels or blankets here?” he asked, looking around.

Reno went to a chest at the end of the bed, pulling both out. “We’ll burn them later.” He grinned, setting them on the bed. “In fact, we should probably torch this whole place after.”

Tseng sighed softly. “Did you want us to stay here or shall we wait outside?”

For a brief moment, Cloud turned his gaze to Reno who paled. Eventually, he shook his head lightly. “Just keep an ear out for Zack, if you can hear him over me.”

Rude was the one who chuckled at that. “I can stay. Someone needs to be ready to lend a hand if things go wrong.”

Cloud was amazed that Zack nodded as he started laying things out. Alphas tended to get territorial, but he supposed they were beyond that at the moment. “Thanks. If you don’t want an eyeful, better go now,” he threw over his shoulder to Reno.

Not needing to be told twice, Reno was out the door with Tseng following slowly behind him. Tseng nodded to Zack and Rude before he closed the door. Even with three of them still inside of the house, it felt less crowded than it had.

Zack placed down a plush towel, casting a quick glance over to Rude. The other Alpha was looking outside, not paying attention in the least. Satisfied, he reached up to hook his fingers in the waistband of Cloud’s pants, tugging them down.

“Shit,” he hissed, getting up to go to the kitchen to wash his hands. “Cloud, don’t you dare push until I’m over there.”

Oh. Cloud nodded once until he felt his body tense in a now-familiar pain. No wonder he felt pressure, it was the desire to push. Reno was lucky that he hadn’t realized it sooner or he would have gotten the look he hadn’t wanted. Now that he knew, it was hard not to do it just to get some damned relief.

He felt hands on his knees, making him look down to where Zack was. “Bad?”

Zack shook his head, smirking lightly. “Crowning. Next contraction, work with it, just like we practised.”

Except, this time was the real deal. Before, he’d been instructed very specifically not to actually push lest he start labour. All those muscles were working to do just that now, and he swore he could feel each and every last one of them.

He closed his eyes, sensing the impending contraction. This time he bore down, the action almost taking his breath away as pain lanced through him. Cloud held the push until he felt his muscles relax slightly, leaving him practically gulping down air. He was positive that he wasn’t being “split in two” as Reno had put it, but it felt close to it.

It became a rhythm, one of the most agonizing ones he’d ever followed. Zack encouraged him every step of the way, letting him know that everything was fine regardless of how it felt. Just as it felt as if he needed longer than a moment’s break, he heard his Alpha tell him to give it one final push.

All the pressure he’d felt released as his son was finally born into the world. There wasn’t a pause before strong lungs took their first breath and filled the air with a powerful cry. It was a sound Cloud knew he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

It was one incredibly proud father who brought a squalling, upset newborn close for Cloud to see. The child he thought he’d never have was real and in front of him now. He carefully took him, noticing how the child’s cries turned to more disgruntled noises once he did.

Zack pressed a kiss to Cloud’s forehead, pride burning deep in their bond. “You did great.”

Cloud made a soft noise of assent, wearily looking up to him. “Do we still agree on Fenrir?”

A nod sealed the name of their newborn son, strong as the wolf that was their clan sigil.


	17. Different Walks of Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's tie up some loose ends. As with everything else, people need to learn to coexist and Shinra sympathizers have to understand that.

Cloud slept quite soundly while Zack busied himself by cleaning up. The whole process had been more exhausting than any training exercise he’d done for Shinra. He didn’t exactly feel much better when he awoke hours later, grunting as he tried to move.

“Take it easy,” Zack murmured beside him. “We’re okay for now.”

His eyes sought out where Fenrir was, spotting a basket not far from him. He relaxed, taking in a breath – then immediately regretting he did. A soft curse left him as a dull ache went through him. Cloud groaned softly, laying back down on the bed.

“I have parts of me I didn’t know I had that hurt,” he muttered.

Zack chuckled, reaching for a glass of water and offering it to his Omega who sat up again and took it gratefully. “You’ll be better in no time. Knowing you, you’ll be out of this bed tomorrow.”

Draining the glass, Cloud shook his head. “Rather not think of moving right now.”

The sound of a door opening made both new parents look over as Reno and Tseng came in. Both of them looked oddly surprised when they saw Cloud, making him think his exhaustion likely showed on his face.

“Holy shit, you look like death took you for a spin,” Reno confirmed, grimacing slightly. “Could tell it was bad from the noises you made, but damn. How could you ever say _that_ was ‘worth it’?”

A soft growl made Cloud look over to Zack. “He doesn’t mean anything by it,” he soothed. “Could I get some more water?”

With a task to do, Zack got up and made his way to the kitchen. Cloud shifted to the small basket that held his son, smiling as he saw the boy’s peaceful face. He looked up to Reno, silently inviting him to see why it was worth all of the pain.

Sighing, Reno shrugged and came in closer, blinking as he did. Cloud wondered if this was the closest Reno had ever been to a baby. He himself had been close more than once which had done the job of awakening his Omega instincts. Watching happy parents made him want a taste of it himself, and now he had it – sort of.

The grim reminder tugged at his mind as he took the offered glass of water. “So, now what?”

“There have been no new sightings of Shinra for nearly three hours now,” Tseng reported. “I highly doubt that they’ve conceded defeat, but the assault is over for the time being.”

“And they’ll be watching our house, waiting for us to come back.” Zack frowned, running one hand through his hair. “We need to deal with them once and for all.”

“Which is what we’ve been trying to do for months now,” Rude said.

Nodding, Tseng waved a hand idly. “We need a decisive strike to remind them of their place.” Zack, Cloud, and even Reno looked up at the Turk who cleared his throat. “That sounded harsher than I intended. I would never suggest anything cruel as that was Shinra’s tactic to deal with insurgents, as you well know.”

“So, what? We just march up to them and tell them to stop it? They won’t care if we ask them nicely,” Reno said, turning his eyes back to Fenrir. “This kid’s no Sephiroth, but they’ll think they can turn him into that if they try.”

“Reno’s right,” Cloud said as he leaned back on the bed, biting back the noise of pain, “but so is Tseng. Asking nicely won’t stop them and trying to use force on them would only antagonize them.”

“It’s an impasse. Both sides want something with conceding nothing in return.” Rude adjusted his sunglasses. “One side has to give.”

Zack’s jaw tensed as he thought, making Cloud smile lightly. He reached over to brush his fingers over Zack’s arm, making the Alpha look over. “Maybe they need to be reminded of what life can really be like.”

Neither Reno nor Rude seemed to understand what Zack meant, but Cloud and Tseng did. Both Cloud and Zack had grown up in rural towns, far away from the bustling metropolis of mako, Midgar. Being in the big city had been different, though both also retained their simpler roots. That was why they’d opted to remain in Kalm instead of going somewhere bigger, like Junon.

“Then perhaps you should educate them. For many, the only thing they know is urban sprawl,” Tseng suggested. “The transition from tall buildings made of steel and glass to a simpler life must have been unsettling.”

Reno caught on then, still not standing from where he crouched at the newborn’s side. “Show them a bit of compassion, try to appeal to their better natures.”

“But make it clear that we won’t stop fighting for our own right to life.” Cloud reached forward, putting a hand gently on Fenrir’s chest. The baby made a soft noise, tiny hands lightly pressing to Cloud’s fingers. “It might be too optimistic, but it’s worth a try.”

Silence fell over the group and Cloud felt his exhaustion settling in once more. Zack took the glass from the Omega’s fingers before it slipped through them, making Cloud jolt awake. He felt the concern from their bond and he shook his head, withdrawing his hand from his son’s basket.

“We all need rest. This place is secure for now and I will have shifts take over watching the perimeter,” Tseng said, gently tapping Reno’s shoulder to get his attention. “This home is stocked with some basic necessities that should last a day or two while Cloud recovers. We shall discuss this further tomorrow.”

It was essentially an order from a subordinate, but neither Zack nor Cloud could find it in them to complain. It’d been a long, long day for every last one of them. Cloud was amused that Reno found it difficult to move away from the bassinet, his eyes glinting with the same wonder any Omega knew when they were close to a newborn.

“Reno,” Rude muttered, pressing his lips together. It looked oddly like concern, but it was hard to tell with the man’s eyes hidden.

As if realizing for the first time that they were being dismissed, Reno stood up. “Uh, right. What’s the kid’s name again?”

“We never told you. His name is Fenrir,” Zack replied.

Reno laughed softly, saluting the family trio. “See you tomorrow, then. Don’t worry about the security shit, we’ll take care of it.” He pointed to Cloud. “Don’t forget that bonus you owe me for hauling your sorry ass here.”

“Goodnight, Reno, and thank you,” Cloud said, nodding. “I won’t forget.”

As the Turks finally filed out, Zack looked over to his Omega with an arched brow. “Since when were we ever going to give them bonuses?”

“Since Reno had to deal with me going through labour pains.” Cloud chuckled gently, shifting in bed once more to get comfortable. “And I’m sure his hand’s not feeling the best right now.”

Zack winced in sympathy, knowing how hard Cloud had tugged at the bedspread. The Alpha finally removed his boots and slipped into the bed beside Cloud, spooning gently behind him. “I’ll speak with the council when I get the chance.”

It wasn’t until the next afternoon that Cloud started feeling more like himself again. He was right that holding his son made it all the more real for him, cradling the newborn as he gave him his bottle. Another evolutionary disadvantage for male Omegas was that they couldn’t naturally nurse their babies. It was probably for the best.

“How are we going to discuss anything with those Shinra sympathisers?” Cloud wondered, looking over to Zack who was reading a newspaper. “We’ve established that they don’t have a central leader yet, so who calls the shots?”

Looking up from the paper, the Alpha shook his head. “Probably a group decision about what’s best. All they really need is someone with a good amount of Gil to become the one who leads.”

It was all in the money. No wonder they were hooking up with the Wall Market crowd. If they were really unlucky, it _would_ be someone like Don Corneo who became the unsavoury leader of the new Shinra. The idea made Cloud shudder, remembering his encounter with Corneo then violently shoving it to the back of his mind.

A knock came at the door and the two looked at one another. It was Zack who peeked out then immediately opened the door for Tseng and Reno.

“You look a lot better. Still packing some luggage under those eyes.” Reno commented to Cloud, dropping some spare clothes on a nearby chair. “Figure you could use a change of clothes after yesterday.”

“You’re studying my eyes now?” Cloud muttered. With the bottle drained, he used one hand to put a small towel over his shoulder then carefully lifted his son to start patting his back gently. “How do things look out there? Think we’d be able to go home soon?”

Tseng nodded. “Certainly, but I came here to discuss our idea from last night as well. We apprehended a good number of those who attempted to apprehend you, Cloud. This may be the only opportunity we have to speak with them.”

Reno glanced over to Cloud, shrugging. “I mean, if you can walk. You might be lighter now but I’m not hauling you all the way there.”

“If anyone would do that, it’d be me,” Zack said, rolling his eyes. “It’s up to you, Cloud. We could stay here another day if you’re not up to it.”

Cloud shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I don’t want to be stuck here any longer than we have to.” As juvenile as it sounded, he wanted to go home. “They won’t chase me out of my own house again.”

With the decision made, they gathered what they needed and left the small home. Cloud had a slower gait than usual, but he refused to complain as he followed them all to the security building. All he could feel was the need to end the problem before it got worse.

Meeting many of those on the security team on the way, they were slowed by the many well wishes and congratulations. Cloud was sure he’d already exhausted his strength by the time they arrived at the detention area, but he merely asked for a seat so he could rest.

The four men chosen were filed into the interrogation room, including the doctor who had been the one to look after Cloud all along. Cloud could see the eagerness in the man’s eyes and it made him wonder if these people even _had_ better natures to appeal to. It simply made him hold to his son a bit tighter, knowing that the obvious mako-blue eyes would entice them further.

Zack stood behind Cloud, a subtle challenge to any who would get in the Alpha’s way. At the moment, Cloud wasn’t going to complain about being protected. Anyone who knew him knew that he was hardly defenseless and having Zack to back him up was more intimidating.

“You know what we’ll do the moment we’re let go,” Percy said, looking pointedly at Fenrir.

“I know, but I’m here to ask you why. If all you want is another war hero, you need another war to fight in.” Cloud tilted his head. “Why is our way of life going to be your new war?”

One of the other men scoffed. “What way of life? You don’t even have cars here. Everything is so basic compared to the glory that Shinra built.”

“You can still have that without all the tyranny attached,” Zack said. “We don’t have cars but we do have hydro electricity powering everything in this city. We’ll probably never have skyscrapers, but we still have everything we need.”

The men grumbled at that, another on the end shook his head. “All that progress, gone.”

“And new progress is being made.” Tseng folded his hands on the table, leaning forward. “The airships are now powered by steam, who is to say what will come next?”

“What Shinra provided was a way of life that was unsustainable. The very Planet rejected it and now you want to bring it back,” Cloud said, feeling a little less confused at their stance. “You can do that without using mako or the Lifestream, and definitely without my son.”

Reno sighed, leaning back in his own chair and stretching out a leg. “As one of the guys who worked with Shinra, they’re not the kind of government you want to bring back a second time. You do know that it wasn’t Avalanche that brought down Sector Seven’s plate, right? And that bomb in Sector One caused minimal damage, Shinra just needed more to blame Avalanche for.”

Apparently not. All four of the men frowned, but it was Percy who recovered first. “It had something to do with Avalanche. They were terrorists with no regard for human life,” the doctor spat. “Shinra wouldn’t have been so careless with the lives of their people.”

Zack let out a laugh that shocked them all, though probably only Cloud knew it wasn’t one of amusement. There was a pain in that laugh which came from the past that Shinra played a large part in. Cloud let his own emotions try to soothe some of that pain.

“You of all people saying that with a straight face,” Zack muttered. “Shinra is the reason why our lives got turned completely inside out. We spent four years being experimented on, and that’s just us. Shinra was the one who dropped the plate, killing thousands of people in the process.”

“Shinra didn’t give a fuck or five about anyone but themselves and here you are saying you want to be the same?” Reno snorted, fixing the other side of the table with a glare only he could manage. “Maybe you don’t want to believe it, but Shinra wasn’t made up of heroes, it was made up of liars and scumbags worse than anyone in the slums.”

It was a case of not having the proper information. Those who missed the life on the plate thought it was wrongly taken from them. All they could consider was trying to recreate it on the ashes of the empire that had brought nothing but pain and suffering.

Cloud shifted his sleeping son in his arms, looking between those gathered. “If you want to build an empire, that’s fine, but you’ll have to do it on your own and deal with the consequences. What Shinra had came at a price and that price wasn’t always paid by them. It was paid by people like me and Zack, like those who fought that war against Wutai, and even more by the people who lived on the plates and under them.”

The doctor looked thoughtful, nodding to his companions. “If we could have some time to discuss this amongst ourselves?”

Nodding, Cloud got to his feet and made his way out of the interrogation room, Zack and the Turks following after. He sighed, sitting in the bench outside of the room. Making a case like that was tiring, though he knew it was more than just trying to talk to a wall.

Tseng had left, returning with a cup of water which he offered to Cloud. “I wouldn’t lose hope quite yet. Much of Shinra’s transgressions weren’t known to the public. I have a feeling they are now weighing whether those who worked for them have more credibility than their glorified vision of the company.”

Murmuring his thanks, Cloud gulped down the water and leaned back. He closed his eyes, idly leaning on Zack who had sat down beside him. If this didn’t work, Cloud wasn’t sure what to do. All he wanted was a normal life, why was that so much to ask?

A knock to the iron door of the detention room startled him awake, making him look down to see that his son was still asleep. He counted himself lucky as he followed everyone back into the room, blearily rubbing at one eye. When he focused, he saw the look of shame on the doctor’s face and he knew _something_ had gotten through to them.

“You know, I always thought something was off about Shinra,” Percy said, clearing his throat. “Living in the world they built, it was hard to think of what came before. But that was the world beneath the plates, and the world beyond it.”

“Shinra always built over what they considered obsolete. Look at Junon,” one of the other men said, keeping his head down. “We were blind to that because we had it good there.”

Zack hummed, still leaning on Cloud’s chair. “You can still have it good here. It takes some work, but it’ll be worth it.”

Reno looked over to Cloud, letting out a soft laugh. “Seems to be the running idea around here. Instead of holding onto the past, think of what you can do now. Fuck Shinra, let it stay buried.”

The doctor nodded, though he pressed his lips together. “We can’t promise everyone will think the same way. I’m not saying we won’t try, but if you send us back to them, we can do our best.”

Looking at one another, Tseng and Zack nodded in agreement. It was all they could really ask for. The world they were in would likely never be at peace as not everyone would give up Shinra’s ways easily. However, at least they could try to live a life that they had etched out for themselves.

As they all left the building, Percy fell into step beside Cloud. “I’m sorry. I got blinded by what we could have had.”

“Fenrir will never be Sephiroth. Even if you’d taken him from me, all you’d do is make the circle of pain go around again. I think we’ve all had enough of that, don’ t you?” Cloud sighed softly, stopping as he turned to look at his former doctor. “Really consider what we said. If you can, destroy what you have about us so no one else decides to follow your footsteps.”

Percy nodded once, looking down at the baby in Cloud’s arms. “He is beautiful, congratulations.”

The group began to go their separate ways with the Turks going back to the security building while Cloud and Zack went home. Thankfully, the would-be abductors had only picked the lock to the front door. The bedroom door was a little worse for wear, but they would be able to fix it. It simply felt good to be home.

“Think they’ll really give up on us?” Zack asked, putting a hand on Cloud’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I think so.” He looked down as his son started fussing in his arms, being stopped by Zack from turning around to go downstairs. “Zack, what…?”

Zack took Fenrir from his Omega, nodding to the bed. “Get some extra sleep. I’ll wake you up for dinner in a couple of hours while I look after the wolf cub.”

Cloud looked between Zack and Fenrir before he let out a gentle breath. He leaned in for a kiss, pulling back to see his own smile reflected on his Alpha’s face. “Thanks. Don’t let me sleep just because I look peaceful.”

“You got it,” Zack said as he started leaving the room. He pulled the door closed, though it was still ajar because of the broken hinge.

The last time he’d slept in the bed, Cloud had all the worries of the world on his shoulders. This time, he climbed in and let out a sigh as he basked in the familiarity. He had to believe things would be better from here on out. For once, that wasn’t an impossible thought to hang onto as he drifted to sleep with the calming emotions from Zack in their bond.


	18. Epilogue

Cloud grunted as a swing from Zack’s sword pushed him back, just as it always did. This time, he spun around to meet the Alpha’s swing, effectively blocking him from doing his usual tactic. Since getting back into training, he’d been trying to improve his technique.

They broke apart, Tifa smiling lightly. “He finally figured out how to stop you,” she said, eyes gleaming.

“I knew he would,” Zack said, patting Cloud’s shoulder. “For someone without formal SOLDIER training, Cloud is a force to be reckoned with.”

“Only took how long?” Cloud chuckled, picking up his nearby water bottle.

It’d been nearly three months since Fenrir was born and things had been as peaceful as they could be. The Shinra uprising seemed to be practically dead in its tracks. There had been a few people who decided to leave for whatever they considered greener pastures, but then there were those who began trying to fit into life in Kalm.

Though Cloud hadn’t returned to work, he did take up some basic training exercises again. He wasn’t about to let the baby fat he’d accumulated stick around for very long. It had been amusing to see Fenrir’s face as his bearer worked out in the backyard.

He sat now near where his son had been watching the swordplay, the young boy making a noise as he saw his parents. Cloud smiled, pulling the seat closer. Fenrir was too young to smile quite yet, but he was intensely curious.

“Good afternoon, boys and girls.”

The group of Tifa, Barret, Zack, and Cloud looked over as Reno approached them. He’d been something of a regular among the group as well, much to Cloud’s amusement. He was certain that it was all an excuse to fawn over Fenrir without being obvious about it.

“Everything okay?” Barret asked.

“Quiet as a mouse. Was bored so I thought I’d see what you were up to.” Reno looked over to the swords, piecing it together. “More sword fights, huh? Doesn’t that get boring after a while?”

“Are you offering to join in?” Cloud asked, smirking. “I don’t think we’d complain, but you’d have to remember that it’s just training.”

Reno put up his hands in mock surrender. “Not on your life. I can’t in good conscience beat up this poor kid’s parents in front of him.”

“Always so damn cocky, ain’t you?” Barret muttered.

Ignoring the jab, Reno went over to Fenrir, flashing the baby a bright smile. “Your uncle Reno brought you something today.” He fished in his pocket to pull out what looked like a small replica of Reno’s own shock baton. When he saw the surprised faces, the Turk snorted. “Calm down, it’s a rattle.”

Tifa looked at Reno, tilting her head. “Since when did you ever like children?”

“He’s an Omega,” Zack and Cloud said at the same time.

“ _Wow_ , way to out a guy,” Reno griped. “It’s got nothing to do with that. At least this wolf isn’t howling all the damn time and I can pass him off to the parents if he does.”

It was true. Fenrir was a very quiet baby, which had ensured his parents didn’t have to worry about not getting enough sleep. It did amuse Cloud that his son was being called a “wolf” by many, including his father. It was a side effect of the name.

“Reno, did I not tell you we had some intelligence to go over?” Tseng’s voice carried behind them, making the red-haired Turk freeze. “How did I know I would find you here?”

“Intelligence?” Zack asked. When Tseng hesitated, he nodded. “It’s fine.”

Tseng made a small noise of disapproval but knew better than to argue. “Only about the latest movements in the Shinra uprising. The numbers are dwindling in Kalm, but we do wish to keep a close eye on those who remain.”

“Was that so hard?” Reno muttered, keeping close to Fenrir as he shook the rattle he’d been given. “Just put some of the good guys on it, you don’t need me there for that.”

“If you wish to take care of a child, might I suggest having one of your own so you have a reason to take paternity leave?” Tseng said, arching a brow.

_That_ made Reno’s head whip over in the other Turk’s direction. “What? That’s not – “

“It’s obvious,” Rude said, cutting the protest off.

Barret let out a laugh as he started to head back to Kalm. “Reno getting knocked up, that’ll be the day.” He waved farewell to those gathered. “Gotta pick up Marlene from school, see y’all later.”

Meanwhile, Reno was already approaching Rude, irritation clear on his face. “Oh, come on! You think I want anything to do with that after seeing it? I’ll leave that shit to someone who enjoys pain.”

“No one said I enjoyed it, I just said it was worth it,” Cloud said, taking a closer look at the rattle Reno had gotten Fenrir. It was a custom job, something that likely cost a bit of Gil. “Thanks for the toy.”

Rude smirked at the angry Omega in front of him. “Spending money on baby toys now?”

Tseng muttered a curse, rolling his eyes. “ _I_ will take care of this intelligence report. I feel like it’s nothing to be concerned over, but one can never be too careful.” He looked over to Reno in exasperation. “Especially when one of your hardest workers is distracted and refuses to admit it.”

“Will you stop riding me about it? I’ll scout it out if It’ll make you feel better,” Reno said, chasing after Tseng.

The Turks left, Reno arguing with Tseng and Rude the entire time they could see them.

“Wonder how long it’ll be before Rude gives him a good dicking?” Zack muttered.

Tifa burst out with a laugh, shaking her head. “You really think that anyone could tame Reno? I can’t imagine him having a baby, not even for a second.”

Cloud let Zack and Tifa debate over whether it would happen or not while he busied himself with Fenrir. It was definitely a different world they lived in, but he was looking forward to whatever came their way.

It felt nice to find his own normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it. Cloud and Zack get to enjoy their quiet time for once in their lives - for a while, anyway. Truthfully, I haven't figured out how to continue their story quite yet. It'd be much less action-oriented and more life drama than this one.
> 
> While this might be the end of this, I have a fic in the works that will pick up where this one left off. Reno's problems have only just begun. Unsure as to when I'll be posting it as it's not complete yet and I'm not sure when I'll cut it off. It's not even up to the same chapter length as Seeking the Normal yet.
> 
> I also have something else I'll be posting as it's an idea that wouldn't leave my mind. This AU will be collected into a series.
> 
> ANYWAY.
> 
> I want to thank everyone for all your comments, kudos, subscriptions, and bookmarks. Without you, this would be less rewarding. I appreciate you all. Take care and see you next fic. 💕


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